15 March 2010 - Birthday Number 56

Dear God:

Today I am thankful for one more year - number 56 to be exact.

My birthday.
Not a cause for jubilant celebration.
Rather, a time for quiet and intense reflection.
Past, present, future.
All three have great and grave importance when you're 50-something.

I dream, ponder and philosophize.
I learn, create and change.
I act, decide and progress.
I share, mentor and collaborate.
I work hard at building a small legacy of good works. 

Be generous to a fault.
Follow the Golden Rule.
Be kind.

I know that I am well past the half-way point of my life, unless, of course, I live past the ripe old age of 112.

I'm not planning anything special. I have to work today. My colleagues who know about my birthday will whisper their good wishes. They know my preference for privacy.

No gifts, please. I think I already have most of the things on my wish list:

• A husband and (canine) son who love me
• Respect and love from my beloved niece and nephew
• A sister who is also my best friend (too bad she lives in California)
• An extended Colorado Springs family that includes kind and generous neighbors
• Membership at the new climbing gym (S and I know the owners)
• Hours to spend writing and reading (Charles Dickens and Jane Austen are on this year's list)
• Longer days so I can take T for a walk when I come home from work
• Visits from our Air Force cadet "sons" - they're juniors this year
• Gardens and landscapes that crave my attention
• Delicious cooking adventures that involve my favorite Le Creuset cookware 

Happy Birthday to me. I think this is the year I will finish writing my book.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.