It is almost 2 o'clock in the morning. "Tomorrow" is already here, yet I am still in yesterday thinking about the passing of another birthday. I notice that every year on February 11th I really celebrate. There is a conscious decision to just have fun and fill the day with all my favorite things. If I want cake, cake it is. If I want candles, yipee! Even flowers if I want. Pretty much anything goes as long as it's fun and I feel nurtured by it. If its not fun or just plain boring? Skip it. Not today....birthdays are sacred. They represent the time when someone's life showed up in the world, and life should be celebrated. I realize every year on this day with as much awareness as during the holidays, that celebrations about life and relationships are meant to happen all year long, yet quickly I forget. Why do we so often wait for just certain days to roll around to celebrate the good in life? Why am I so willing to give myself permission to genuinely celebrate my life on February 11th, yet often discounting my life's journey whenever I become frustrated, sad or insecure?
One of my favorite quotes is "God danced on the day you were born." I really believe that. God envisioned everything about me, created me and "saw that it was good." He didn't however, dance when I was born and then stop celebrating me whenever I stumbled or fell flat on my face. I also remembered my Mom a lot today. I was blessed that she was always celebrating who I was or will be. From infancy onward, when doctors and others said my disability would leave me forever dependent on others and unable to have the experiences in life that most parents want for their children, she never believed them and saw so much more. Every re-telling of my accomplishments from walking, getting an education, my home and my drivers liscense for example was followed by, "They always said she wouldn't______,but she did it!!" The ups and downs, slips and falls were just part of the journey. It never stopped her from celebrating my life and certainly didn't cause her to love me any less. Yet more times than not, that's what happens amoungst all of us. Our acceptance of ourselves and each other becomes limited to the times when it is easy, when in reality we need to feel celebrated on a daily basis. So this year on my birthday, I suppose the gift life gave me were reminders to love and celebrate who we are becoming with all its imperfections with as much joy as we feel when things are, pardon the pun, a piece of cake. God danced on the day we were born and everyday thereafter. Why shouldn't we?
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Happy birthday, sweetie. Wish I could have been there with you for cake and candles and dancing in celebration. Know that my spirit IS there with you...and, yes, you are right. We all need to remember that EVERY DAY is a good day to be alive and celebrate God's gift of life to us.
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