Thirty Eight Ain’t So Bad

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

You know when you’re a kid every birthday is an exciting one. Then when you get to a certain age there almost seems to be nothing to look forward to. Another year older, another year wiser as they say, but the reality of it all is that birthdays never seem as exciting as they were when you were a kid. I don’t think you’ll ever get that back. I’m way more excited for my kids birthdays than I am for my own. For me to see the look of joy on my kids face when they get just what they were hoping for or when they have a great birthday, that’s what it’s all about. So for the most part birthdays do eventually end up becoming another day, but is it really just another day?

No, not really. I mean with Facebook you now have hundreds of friends and family wishing you happy birthday. Most places I do business in some way email you for the month before your birthday to offer birthday treats and well wishes. In my house my middle daughter posts Happy Birthday signs all over the house that greet you. And you still get presents.

So today I turned 38. Yes, the day after my son. We almost shared a birthday. Instead, nine years ago he became the best early birthday present I ever did get. Nothing probably could top that birthday, but ever since it has been with great joy that I get to shower him with so much love and excitement and then the next day it all gets turned around on me.

As I had approached my 30th birthday I dreaded the thought, but now here I am closer to 40 and so far that doesn’t seem too bad. And so far thirty eight ain’t so bad either. My family spoiled me. My husband brought me out for breakfast, my middle daughter had an orthodontist appointment and she allowed me to pick out her colors for the elastics on her braces today. I know, a silly thing to get excited about, but she wouldn’t ever pick two colors for herself so I got her to do that today. She’ll probably never do it again and never allow me to pick out her color(s) again, but oh well. My husband made my favorite dinner (chicken parmigiana) and my oldest daughter baked me a cake, the two little ones made pictures for me, and I also got a pair of pig slippers, the new Simon game (you remember that memory game with the colors you had to press in the right order, yeah I got that and I love it), I got a New York Mets charm necklace, and a new tea kettle that’s a beautiful shade of blue (my favorite color).

It’s nice to be known and loved so well. And that right there makes growing older and each birthday so worth it. It took me a while to come to this realization that birthdays can still be something to look forward to. I’m just glad that I have so many wonderful people who I love so much that love me back. I couldn’t have asked for anything more on this my 38th birthday.