Contrived Human Milestones No More

Today, I turned 35 years old and learned to appreciate what a birthday truly means. My friend Steve B. and I have a running joke about birthdays being "contrived human milestones"- the cake, the presents, all the hoopla. We get older, we fuss over our looks, we wax philosophical about how quickly the years go by, and perhaps, we even start to get a bit more crotchety. But the nurse who attended my port surgery, June, put it all into perspective for me. She said there was a point in her life where she felt much the same way- it's another birthday, big deal, so what? But then she had an epiphany and realized that the birthday IS the gift. You made it another year in life and lived to tell about it. Who better to comment on the magnificence of this statement than a nurse whose very job it is to attend to countless births and deaths on a daily basis? If we change our mindset, birthdays shouldn't be viewed as the inevitable countdown from the cradle to the grave, but rather they should be embraced as the finest of sentiments and celebrations because we happened to survive another year. My sister-in-law Toni celebrates her birthdays the whole week long, and I'm beginning to think she's on to something....

Today, my father-in-law Phil took me to treatment. He recently underwent a colonoscopy himself, and they were able to immediately take care of a potential problem due to early detection. He used to be the head surgeon at Virginia Mason and has been in retirement for about 7 years. He's in his 70s, stays active, plays bridge and tennis regularly, crafts beautiful bonsai as a hobby, manages an orchard and vineyard in Okanogan, and was recently re-married. He and his wife Pedie travel and do all kinds of fun things together, and they even celebrated their two week wedding anniversary together just because they could. Their story makes a good case for longevity, doesn't it?

Even in my worst throes of pain and discomfort today, I felt an elevated sense that this birthday would hold a lot of meaning for me, and that I must be thankful above all else and still find reason to celebrate. I'm still here after all, and I'm fighting the good fight. I'm bearing up and realizing that this, too, will pass and that I'll endure for my sons, myself and all those whom I love. So, it's not about celebrating me, but about me celebrating all that is good in my life. Today, I became fully cognizant that the best kind of birthday gift is the profound sense that I am loved and that I have so many to love in return. Life is an infinite exchange of love and good energy if that's how we choose to expend our efforts in the time given to us.

So today, Nina, Jennifer, Zhivago, Toni, Mike, Janelle, Connor and Winston were there to ring in my 35th year over decadent cupcakes and sparkler candles. I received flowers, gifts, serenades, e-cards, calls, voicemails, and felt overcome by a sense of love which invigorated me with the will to fight this and survive to my 36th birthday and beyond. So today, I celebrate 35 years of good fortune in a loving family and countless friends who should all know how much love I have for each and every one of you. Thank you for reminding me what birthdays are really about.