Celebrate Being Alive

Happy Birthday to me!

I thought that by now I would be over excitedly awaiting my birthday, but this year was like the 21 years before it, I got more and more excited as April 13th came closer and closer and I even counted down the minutes until midnight so I could watch my birthday roll in. On the one hand, this all seems childish and maybe even a little self-centered....but I think there's a better way of looking at it. I think it's more childlike than childish. I think birthdays are a great chance to reflect on the past year of one's life and to think about things to look forward to in the coming year and ways to grow more and more into the person God created you to be, kind of like a personal New Year. For me this birthday is about hope and trust-- hopefully looking forward to the blessings and joys to come and trusting in God's plan for me this year.

Henri Nouwen writes:

"Birthdays are so important. On our birthdays we celebrate being alive. On our birthdays people can say to us, “Thank you for being!” Birthday presents are signs of our families’ and friends’ joy that we are part of their lives. Little children often look forward to their birthdays for months. Their birthdays are their big days, when they are the center of attention and all their friends come to celebrate.

We should never forget our birthdays or the birthdays of those who are close to us. Birthdays keep us childlike. They remind us that what is important is not what we do or accomplish, not what we have or who we know, but that we are, here and now. On birthdays let us be grateful for the gift of life."

I'm eagerly looking forward to this next year of my life...bring it on!