So the old saying goes ‘Another year, another dollar’. Of course, that saying was started back when a dollar was a whole lot of money. Tonight, I took a walk down the hall of the hotel I’m staying at and the soda machine said I could buy a soda if I had TWO dollars…
I just filled my bucket with ice.
Was going through all the wonderful wishes on my Facebook tonight, reading all the friends and family who took time out of their day to think of me and send me a greeting, a thought for a pleasant day. And it was nice to think back to how I knew those people or some special memory that I had with them. See? I don’t fear or loathe birthdays anymore. Getting older is a blessing. When it’s my time to go and the Lord calls me Home, I’ll be ready. Therefore, each birthday is a blessing. I turned 46 on July 20th. I’m proud of my age. I earned each year.
What I truly enjoyed about the day, though, was the overwhelming sensation of love and general good vibrations I had today. Sure, I was getting ready to head out on vacation, but that wasn’t the only reason. My morning started off with a nice surprise from my manager, Carol. She was thoughtful to give me snacks for the trip. Goodies and a gift card to make the trip a bit easier. Throughout the day, my co-workers were kind and pleasant, wishing me happy birthday, offering to sing. (I really should have taken all of them up on their offers. LOL!)
I have to say this. The work we do is tough. It can be frustrating and difficult at times, but I work with a GREAT group of people. I am so blessed to have the co-workers I have. They are amazing!
When I was finally able to sit down and read through Facebook (I did a brief scroll at lunch), one post caught my eye. My cousin, Bobby, wished me a ‘Happy Birthday’ and then he wrote “…and Hockey-Yockey”.
Now, let me explain why this put the biggest smile on my face while at the same time made me look at all the other posts in a different light. First, I will explain ‘Hockey-Yockey’. There are only two certified black belts, Merine and myself. Our fathers were our instructors. It is our own personal, supersecret brand of martial arts. We are the masters, we are the keepers of the great and wonderful art of ‘Hockey-Yockey’. (It is one of the best memories of my childhood!)
That memory reminded me tonight of just how blessed I am.
And I am blessed. I think if people stopped once in a while and truly looked at what they had… not material goods, but the ‘Hockey-Yockey’ goods… they’d realize just how blessed they were.
My mother posted how just by being born, I changed her life. I didn’t do anything there. No really. At that point, I had no self-awareness. Purely instinct driven, but look what I managed to do. And she’s right. Our relationship has been able to evolve from mother-daughter to that of friendship. That’s a true blessing.
I have family relation who truly make me smile when I ‘see’ them on Facebook. And yes, I know people say social media is the new root of all evil. I don’t believe that. Because of social media, I get to keep in touch with aunts, uncles, cousins… numerous people, I wouldn’t be able to ever ‘talk’ to without this particular medium. So yes, today, I got to exchange dialogue with my Aunt Angie, who is beautiful, amazing, and funny. I didn’t get to see her much while I was growing up, but I know she’s a very special, Christian woman. I know I love her. My newest cousin wished me ‘happy birthday’. I’m excited that Krista is now my cousin. She married my cousin Michael, and he means the world to me. She makes him happy, and I adore her sense of humor, her personality. I saw wishes from my cousins who live just about all over this country, aunts and uncles I don’t get to see much anymore, but I love dearly.
My Uncle Steve and Aunt June, who I would visit during the summer when they lived in Peru. My Aunt June used to breed Yorkies. I would get to help her with the puppies, and the momma dogs. It was a doggie paradise at her house. She’s also the reason my Hercules was born. I have her to thank for the best, most precious, most wonderful gift I ever received in my entire life. How is that for a true blessing?!
One of the neatest things was seeing posts from friends who, well, they aren’t friends. I’m sorry. But sometimes, people come into your life who have absolutely no blood relation and they just become family. Renee and I were kidding around about that this morning, but it really is true. My parents ‘gave’ me a baby sister. In reality, though, I have so many brothers and sisters. It’s amazing. Truly. I have my fire department siblings. Some of the strongest bonds are these brothers and sisters I grew up with. We all watched our dads (and some of us our mothers too), go out at all hours of the night and day and fight fires, save lives. We were young when it all started, but we knew what it all meant. Our parents went out, but someday there was the possibility that they wouldn’t come home. It helped create a deep bond. Something other people can’t quite understand. And it creates great, fun, and awesome memories that are just downright funny sometimes. Just ask Renee and Jennifer (Nettles) Carmichael about the protocols for calling about housefires. LOL! Cindy and I and all the hours we spend with our dads with softball… how much we all LOVED playing at Tipton. LOL! Jessica, Kim, Scott, Heather, Summer, Autumn… we’re all siblings. Sisters and brothers. My blessings grow by leaps and bonds.
Then, of course, there’s the people who just come into your life. Ashli… God knows that I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s my niece, through my sister, but these past two years she and I have become so close. I don’t think she even realizes how much she’s come to mean to me. Her two daughters, Braz and Rai, are my world. My forever soul mate, Jackie. We met in astronomy class. Who would have thought that would have led us to become the sisters we are today? I certainly wouldn’t have. Not by looking at us!!!! LOL! Christy, who adopted me into her entire family and made me, not only her sister, but her twin! Another niece to love… husband… grandson… daughter… My blessings just keep running over.
Friends from high school. Hollis and Peggy. These friends whom I love so very much. I may not see as often as I want, but who ARE my sisters and brothers. I love them, I’m thankful for them.
I don’t know if I could have made it through growing up without them.
Looking back at that, they were maybe the truest blessings of all. Because surviving that time of your life so that you can make it to 46, man, what an accomplishment. The Lord blessed me so much, even then. I just didn’t realize it.
And then there’s the long distance friends. The ones that it’s always said you ‘meet’ on the internet. You make friends, but you never keep them because, yeah, it’s the internet. Just typing on a screen, so how can it be a real person. But then there’s Julie, who sent me a text and just ‘hearing’ from her made me smile because I miss her so much. There’s Marianne, my beautiful Canadian sister who loves her crazy American sister… unconditionally. And yes, the feeling is mutual. There’s Debbie and her family… Brenna, Mickey, Steve, Mom, Dad, Aunt Billie… I would adopt just about the entire Stevenson family, it seems.
But again, isn’t that how it’s supposed to work. You spend a lifetime building up these special relationships. You make and keep these bonds that form you into who you are. They allow you to look back on your life and smile.
Mine allow me to look back on my life and realize just how blessed I really am. To have so many good memories and bonds. To have so many people in my life over the long haul. It’s just a great comfort. And while I celebrated this ‘mid-life’ birthday today, it was nice to be able to look at these posts and think back on old memories and smile. To be reminded that riches and wealth aren’t about the dollars that I have in a wallet or in a savings account.
No. It’s about the blessings that God has bestowed upon me and accepting them for exactly what he intended them to be. I’m just so thankful that I took those few moments today to stop and think and reminisce as He wanted me to do today. That was indeed the best present I could have given to myself. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me.
Happy Birthday, to Me.