Today I had the blessing of celebrating my birthday! Yes, I am 60ish (67 to be exact). I own it! I shout it! I’m proud of it! There are many people I know who say with all sincerity “I don’t celebrate birthdays” or “I don’t want to be reminded” and I think that is kind of sad. I feel that each birthday should not be celebrated as the end of a year but the start of a new year because, as the saying goes “tomorrow is not promised to any of us.” So I share my birthday with each and everyone of you and I hope that we all had a great day and will have a great tomorrow for all long as our tomorrows continue!
After 7 years cancer-free, I look forward to aging each day. Age is not something to hide or to run from – it should be embraced! Each birthday is an opportunity to give gratitude for the life in you that continues. Face it, if you were not having this birthday – the alternative is that you would not be among us. We should not look at a birthday as how little time we have left but as time to make a commitment to fully live each day that you are given. How can you be the best person that you can be? How can you continue to grow, to give back, to rise up and help others rise up as well.
So celebrate your birthday. You opened your eyes this morning and something amazing happened – you’re still here! The celebration can be as simple as before getting out of bed take a few minutes to give thanks for another day, give thanks for family and friends you love and who love you, and give thanks for the opportunity to continue to make a difference in the world through actions big and small!