Not Just Another Day
Today is my birthday. Yes, thank you, happy birthday to me.
But when you really think about it, the day is really so much more. Why? Because it is a day when friends and family can come forward and make you feel special, appreciated and remembered.
But that’s just not the case in this whirl-wind fast-paced to-do list type of life.
First, for the ones having the birthday, it helps us to remember there are those out there who do care and who do love us even if we don’t see or hear from them often. Second, for the well-wishers, birthdays make us stand up and remember those around us. We might not offer enough of ourselves to others on any given day but it is these special days which turn our attention away from ourselves and towards others instead.
Our birthdays remind us our friends care and are always there for us. I have a friend who I have known for 25 years. We have had some good times, some bad times and probably everything in between. Somehow when our boys were young, we were able to get together weekly to watch our favorite night-time soaps (remember Melrose Place?) while we would cross stitch and catch up with each other. As our boys grew, our lives got busier not only with work but also because our boys were actively playing sports pretty much all year long. Our boys were usually on the same team so we saw a lot of each other but boys do grow up while activities and schedules do not always mesh. It is not often that I see my friend now (unless Facebook counts) but I know she is and always will be someone I can count on. How do I know this? I just know. But it didn’t hurt that she made a point of reminding me with a happy birthday wish and this saying: “Good friends are like stars…you may not always see them but you always know that they are there.”
Sadly, they also remind us of those who are no longer here to celebrate with us.
Another example would be my father-in-law, who did not care much about his own birthday but found great pleasure in teasing me about mine. I never failed to receive a phone call from him so that he could sing to me, “The old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be…”
Birthdays may be just another day to some but I will say again birthdays are much more than that. It is a day to remember or show appreciation to others or a day where you can take to heart what others say you mean to them. These days should never be pushed aside as just any other day.
