Earlier this month I broke into my fourth decade - this may come as surprise to many as we kept it low key and pretty quiet - NOT! This was my first birthday in a long time that was greeted with sustained celebration and fanfare and it was fun - I apologize to any and all who tired of the photos and exhortations that may have filled your social media feeds for a couple of weeks. I was caught off guard by the amount of fun I had ringing in this milestone 4-0 as I've never enjoyed being the center of attention or being the reason for celebration. The whole notion that I remained calm during a surprise party and overwhelmingly amazing facebook group chat and big trip was astonishing to me - I had anticipated having a panic attack at some point but never did! In fact - I found my introverted self energized by the big groups of people and the overt extroversion of the whole season. The whole experience has been surreal and a bit 'out of body' and has taken me some days to process. What I've come to understand is this: this celebration was 100% lifegiving because it really wasn't about me. Sure, June 11 is the day of my birth and that date in 2016 marked the beginning of my 40th trip around the sun, but seriously - this whole extroverted, glass raising, cake eating season has been about so much more. In fact, I kind of wish I'd turned 40 sooner - it's a good decade, I can already tell.
You see, this celebration of 40 years is actually a celebration of all the people and places who've gotten me to this day. My dear husband, parents, sister and brother-in-law conspired to gather people who've known me from birth and in every phase of my life in one place at one time to surprise me! What a GIFT! Every person gathered on that toasty SC day was a full-fledged contributor to my story - it was like an in-person reading of movie credits to this point and it was holy. I hugged the necks of people I hadn't seen in 15 years, I saw in-laws, aunts, uncles and cousins; high school friends, college friends and supper club friends; church friends, kids' friends and even got to greet two sweet baby girls still preparing for their July debut into the world. And - there was cake and banana pudding and BBQ! There's no way to describe how humbling it feels when you're surrounded by the very people who've meant the very most and to witness their interactions with one another. Had this been a movie, the camera would have panned out to capture a bird's eye view of the gathering (including the kids in the creek and playhouse) and I'd have narrated the scene saying, "I'm in awe. The gift of time and presence of people who've shaped me in ways they may not even know is one of the truest and most perfect expressions of community. Today's celebration is one of connection, grace and love. My cup runneth over." Depending on who wrote the script it might be more eloquent, but you get the point.
On the heels of this holy gathering I had the good fortune to run away to one of my most favorite places with the one who chooses to do life with me and I him. NYC has always been special to us - we discovered our city souls there, we honeymooned there, we returned there to celebrate anniversaries and it seemed only fitting to return to celebrate this birthday. We were lucky to join dear friends from Vancouver who were there celebrating there 10th anniversary - making this a communal celebration too - an extension of what occurred in SC just days before. The weather was perfect, the company ideal. There were toasts and desserts and yummy meals and then, on the 11th day of June, another gift - made possible by social media and my best friend's facebook savvy self. As I've grown, I've come to define treasure differently than accumulated wealth. I must say the gift of notes and photos from across the years is one of my most valuable treasures that I'm in the process of having printed and preserved to have forever. Rarely do I find myself overwhelmed to the point of speechlessness or tears, but all the messages from people throughout the years did just that.
Today, I'm grateful - this is the most public thank you note I've ever written and it goes out to all who've walked alongside me on life's journey so far. To those with whom I've shared a season in these 40 years, thank you. To those who've been with me the whole time, thank you. To those with whom I share the journey right now, thank you. To my parents - what joy it is to share these milestones with you! I'm grateful for the way you love me into who I am and for the way you love my children. To my sister - we've come a long way from sharing a room/clothes, teenage arguments and eye rolls! It's delightful to see you mother and to see the way our children love each other. To my husband - thank you for continuing to choose us as we navigate these adventurous waters in which we swim. I look forward to many more milestones and celebrations and years with you by my side. To you all - my expression of gratitude to and for each of you will be the living of my days in a manner that I hope does you proud for you have filled my cup to overflowing. My life has been made better by your being in it.
