As I type this – it’s my birthday. I was born on a Monday – the night before the morning of the full moon.
Birthdays should conjure up celebratory visions from years past. They should surely involve the anticipation of waking up that day.
My perspective of birthday bliss is a wee bit different. I’m certain I’m not the only one. First off we weren’t rich which made us poor. That alone should not hinder any birthday love from happening.
My parents raised nine children which, as you know, turned in to ten after a call from Lutheran Social Services after they had both passed. It must have been hard enough just to keep everyone alive and breathing let alone remembering their birthdays.
I can’t speak for my siblings. I can only speak for myself. Maybe they got to have birthdays? I don’t recall them. My birthdate, regrettably, fell on the first week of school every, single year. There was no time for a party or gathering. I must have gotten birthday love somehow -I just can’t remember it. As I aged, I noticed that most people make a pretty big deal out of birthdays in their families or friend groups.
Fun fact. I have so many thousands of friends but hang out with hardly any. I’m a socially awkward introverted extrovert if that makes sense. There will be no get-togethers or cake but I dislike cake anyway.
The very thing I curse makes me feel the most birthday love of all. The internet! That cold, invisible line that allows people to talk in real time all over the world face to face sharing both joy and pain. I woke up this morning with an email from my favorite coffee shop. The email contained the greatest gift! I can stop by anytime within the next 7 days and order any size and any kind of coffee drink I can dream of! I opened Facebook and the “owe” of being older and waking up in pain turned to “Wow!”
It was only 7:30 a.m. and so many people had messaged me the most sincere birthday greetings. They’re the kind of greetings that stick to my insides and make me feel like I’m being hugged even though nobody is there. Some people crave cake and presents on their birthdays I see. I crave affirmations that tell me despite me being socially awkward and often alone – people still care and take the time out of their busy lives with their own families to type me love.
Love, after all – is the greatest gift of all. I grew up with it in constant ways, albeit, not like most. I grew up with love that surrounded me not just on the day of my birth. The love of the neighbors feeding and clothing me. The love of my church family. The love of every pet I rescued and loved back until they had to leave.
I may not have gotten birthday cakes growing up but I got plenty of left over pie crust dough baked and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar! My Mama knew how much I loved that! I got that randomly when I wasn’t expecting such a treat. That must be what a surprise party feels like. Why should a birthday feel any more joyful to us than any regular day?
The gift was that we were chosen to be born. The gift is being chosen to walk upon an earth with all of you at the same exact time for whatever reason that is. The gift is in praising I “get” keep all of this wisdom learned from heartache and joy learned from abundance and share it with other people way worse off than me. Today may be my birthday – but really – it’s the day God chose me to swim out of my superhero Mother’s womb under the night before the morning of the full moon. I’m off to get my coffee and read more of the love on the internet!
Happy day celebrating you and me and all those who will come after us. Life, love and realization that love doesn’t come in cakes and presents. It just somehow comes in quantities enough to share. Present someone candles today just because and ask them to make a wish. Then hope it turns into an answered prayer for them. They’ll remember that day far longer than any old birthday date!