Happy Birthday America!!!
Yesterday most of us gathered, in different size groups, to celebrate the birth of our nation, and to celebrate how blessed we are to be a part of it. Many probably never stopped to think about what else celebrating yesterday gave us. I am becoming keenly aware of the other part of it, as today is my birthday. That other part we might not think about, is the abundance of love that we have, when we gather with friends, and what we are shown on our birthdays. From strangers that come across our path and find out it is our big day, who pass on a loving greeting, to friends we have known our entire lives, birthdays are a great day to feel surrounded by love. That is of course if we let it happen, or take time to recognize it. Some people tend to be embarrassed by the attention. I used to be one of them. I am finding though I would much rather relish in all the love I am shown, then to hide from it anymore. Who knows, you might even get some great advice, or told something you really need to hear, if you pay attention.
That happened to me today, and really one of the reasons for today’s post. I took about an hour for me and went out on my own. On my outing, I ran into someone I had not seen in about a year. For the seven years prior, I used to see them every day. Each day in all those years we would spend a few minutes making small talk. We never were really intimate, we never had the time. They had a job to do and so did I. Today, however, we could take a few minutes longer to talk. They asked how I was doing, what I was doing, and told me it was great to see me. Of course I also mentioned to them the same. I told them how I was and what I had been up to in the last year, and then said some days I am just not sure. They told me to remember that everybody has to endure storms, but we all usually make it out. They also told me to stick with what I was doing, that it would pay off some day, that I would just have to make it through the storms. That is when it hit me. We never really know how many friends we have, or how many people even think about us or remember us, until a day like today. When everyone makes it obvious and goes out of their way to help you celebrate. Today I was being shown such love (friendship) from a person I had enjoyed seeing for years. And now they were telling me something I really needed to hear, besides Happy Birthday..
I know I will continue to get loving messages, even after this post is written. As I have yet to go through my e-mails and social media. My cup runneth over on my birthday and I bet yours does too. So this is just a thank you to all for the love shown on birthdays and a reminder, that if on no other day, you recognize how truly surrounded by love you are, stop for a moment on your birthday and feel it, soak it in, and be grateful for it. Maybe we will all get a little better about sharing it and showing it every day, until then bathe in the abundance on your birthday. As for me, I say thank you God, or the universe, I got all the messages and truly felt the delivery of my best Birthday Gift – Love..