My birthday is coming this week, July 27th. Birthdays are equal opportunity events. Everyone has one. Yet, birthdays are special events because they come only once a year. No matter who you are or where you are, you only get one birthday. You get to celebrate your birth day every year. It’s an annual event.
When I was young I looked forward to my birthday party. It’s a time to invite friends over, receive presents, and eat my favorite kind of cake. My favorite cake as a child was baked Alaska. It is a distant memory now. I think my favorite color then was green, or perhaps blue. My best childhood friend was Janet, a girl who lived down the street and was a classmate in school.
But I confess that my memories of specific childhood birthdays are not clear. As I grew older, my birthday was a time to gather with family and friends, reflect on events of the past year and anticipate the future and most of all enjoy each other’s company.
We learn over time that enduring friendships are the true celebrations in life. On this, my 73rd birthday, I share a heartfelt thank you for the gift of your friendship.
In friendship,
David