Friday, May 23, 2014

My Parents' Gift To Me


It's hard to believe that it's been more than a week already since my birthday,
and that May is more than half over.
Sigh.
Where is time going?
My son took this photo.
It's there to prove 
I have "etchings" from life
and living.
:)
"Etchings of living"
ah yes,
what would life be without the scars 
and lessons
and new insight?
Would it just be a meaningless
existence of days?
I don't want to live like that.
It seems life is made up in the daily journey.
 
Last Thursday I wanted to post 
and say how thankful I was to have another birthday...
and all that stuff I say on my birthday
every year.
And I mean all of it.
It is my parents' gift to me.
I open that gift with every breath I breathe.
And I am filled with thanksgiving.
 
I am thankful for life
and health
and safety
and joy.
 
But we had deadlines that day.
Deadlines that really were deadlines.
They weren't moving targets.
Stuff had to be done,
THAT day,
not some other day.
 
So we started at 5:30 that morning
 in hopes of "knocking it out"
right away.
At 8:30 that night we finished!
 
We finished!
Yay!
We met THAT deadline.
Then we jumped in the car 
and went to get a bite to eat
I hadn't cooked all day.
 
No fanfare.
No singing.
No balloons and confetti.
 
BUT
No less a birthday.
My birthday.
I was really happy to be having
ANOTHER ONE!
Not everyone gets that privilege!
 
I am blessed!
My family...
Safe...
Happy...
Together...
It was so sweet
 when I looked in
 and saw that my daughter 
had changed the chalkboard message.
She said she was going to draw the dog on there
until she remembered that my name
Rachel
means 
lamb.
All day long I received messages,
texts,
phone calls,
cards.

Our son went to Walmart about midnight and bought
German Chocolate Cake Mix
and
Coconut Pecan Icing!
He made a cake the next day.

Around 10:30, the next night,
 the 16th,
three of us decided to eat the 
German Chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream,
while one slept,
while one hung out with friends,
three of us ate.

mmmm~mmmm~mmmm
it was good!

So I had a good birthday.
Yes, I had a birthday.

And who knows...
maybe we will celebrate
on June 15th,
and throw confetti
and release helium filled balloons,
and take an impromptu trip to 
Prince Edward Island
(a dream, a wish)
and laugh
and
sing happy birthday 
to the top of our lungs
and eat more cake.

Or not.

And you know, 
I'm just fine with that.
Because I still had a birthday.

I am blessed.

8 comments:

jonna said...

Enjoy Prince Edward Island since I've always wanted to and never will. Post lots of pictures!

Sherry at The Rusty Pearl said...

What a beautiful birthday. I loved the message. YOUR such a beautiful soul my friend.

Victorian1885 said...

Sounds like a perfect Birthday to me... take care and enjoy..

Salmagundi said...

I've always felt celebrations on a specific day can be over rated -- it's more important to celebrate each and every ordinary day!!! Sally

A Romantic Porch said...

Jonna, oh dear, it seems I've left the wrong impression with my blog post. Going to Prince Edward Island is a wish, a dream, not a reality. I'm sorry I expressed that in a confusing manner...maybe one day it will happen!
Love,Rachel

Ana said...

Happy Belated birthday Rachel....What an inspirating post. One more year of life IS such a blessing...what else can one ask for as a birthday gift or celebration. Well said my friend. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Much love,
❤️Ana

Donnie Pirtle said...

Beautiful post and memories. You are blessed with a beautiful and thoughtful family. So you made memories that day to add to your daily birthday dreams and memories. Have a wonderful day.

pse said...

Our parents gave us all a wonderful gift in you! We are blessed!