Birthday Week
I posted about a birthday gift i made for someone else, but I haven’t mentioned my own birthday which was this week. I would have liked to ignore it, but with kids around that isn’t possible, unless you lie to them, which I was more than tempted to do! I tried it, ahem, but the guilt was too much, so I had to ‘fess up. So to make me feel old on my birthday, the nice teenage cashier at the grocery store didn’t card me. I always get carded, and even feel frustrated sometimes when the cashier acts like she doesn’t believe my drivers license is real and gives me the evil eye during the whole transaction. So I guess I am learning that if I don’t want that hassle, I should look for the youngest cashiers and if I am having a bad day and want to be cheered up then I need to find the nice old lady cashiers who will tell me I look too young to be buying alcohol. Nice!
The Boy also helped me feel just a little older by asking me if I had the same first name when I was a little kid that I do now. Of course, I said yes… that my first name has not changed. His response was, “Wow, your name is REALLY OLD!” Well, it is even older than he knows since it was the name of a town in the ancient middle east, but fortunately I haven’t had it that long!
So my birthday coming round again has just made me realize that I am very content. There just aren’t things that I want. If I really think about what I want, it is all things that can’t be bought. So for my birthday I wish someone could give me more energy, a little more motivation, and I wish someone could give me the gift of getting all the unnecessary crap out of my house. But I realize that is something I just have to do. And I need to learn to not be so anxious to have those things immediately.
But despite my not wanting stuff, my family still loves me, and packages, cards, eCards, emails, and phone calls started arriving. Carol sent me this:
Thank you Carol!!! I am so excited. I think they are so fun and creative and I am thankful to have some decorations that won’t be thrown away to pollute the planet after the party! And I needed the reminder to actually “Celebrate!” My husband’s parents sent me an eCard wishing they could give me this:
Sounds really wonderful! Although this funny gift from Heather is probably more appropriate for the next few months:
Thank you Heather! They will make me laugh every time I wear them. My sister bought this for me in Thailand. I love it. I love the mix of satin brocade with burlap. And the pom poms are great! I might have to steal the design and make a few more.
And my mom made me this lovely beaded necklace:
She is so amazing! There are earring to match and she made me another necklace that is a choker so the length is being adjusted so it fits just right, so I don’t have a photo of it yet. Even though I didn’t really want anything, these gifts made me feel so lucky. It is so nice to realize that people care and they actually know you well enough to give you something you will appreciate! Thanks for the phone call, Matt! And the Man has been on a week long quest to find me some music I will actually like. Which he knows is what I want more than anything he could gift wrap for me. Thanks to everyone who made suggestions! So far my new favorite song is “Love You Madly” by Cake… how did I miss those last two albums!
So fun to see the pictures! I feel like I got to come to your birthday party!
I didn’t know it was your birthday, you were hiding it well! Since you don’t want “stuff” can I take you out to lunch at the spot of your choice?