Yesterday was my birthday! I love the chance to celebrate birthdays. For me a birthday celebration is a great statement of the goodness of life and the uniqueness of a person. In a world that rewards productivity, riches, moving fast and wearing skinny jeans, it feels good and counter-cultural to stop and just be glad for the person God made someone to be. I had a great birthday. My morning started with a surprise morning off...a babysitter arrived at 9am by my wonderful husband's arrangement. I spent the whole morning by myself! I realize this can sound sad and lonely, but to a mother of four solitude is like a swimming pool in August in the South, much needed and almost too good to be true. I ate breakfast at Art Cafe, my favorite local place, and enjoyed reading the newspaper. The lovely owner there knew it was my birthday (how else did I get to quietly sit and read the paper while drinking a wonderful cup of coffee?) and serenaded me with a decadent chocolate dessert and a candle. Picture elegant but simple, not large clapping restaurant singing. That was enough right there....the day would have been more than I deserved at this point...
I celebrated with my husband and kids over dinner. While I made the dinner they made "party hats" and hung streamers. This was in addition to the "birthday poster" on the front door they decorated for me. It was so good to celebrate together. As my four year old said, "Mommy this is going to be a really good party. You have party hats and decorations!". The simplicity of a good party is really something we adults should have held on to. Finally, my husband had to go to a meeting, so I put the kids to bed and was folding laundry when I received a great birthday surprise. Four dear friends snuck in with champagne and goodies and we had a "Mom Party"...a short period of time to talk and laugh without kids that we are oh so grateful for these days. It all felt like more goodness than I deserve, and I am so glad that the rich company of friends means so much. How blessed I feel to celebrate another year!
1 comment:
I love it! So glad you got to have some fun and so sad i wasn't there with you! Hope your present came today! Miss you and your adorable family. I LOVE the postings you've done. You must print them out and save them in some sort of scrap book...
Love you!
e
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