My Birthday!

Today is my birthday. I am 35, officially. We had a wonderful day today, although at times it was stressful (not in a bad way) as we all four were working towards getting cooking done for the party (I had to add the picture of my Mum's hands... I love her hands! They are so beautiful!)

Many people bemoan their birthdays, considering them a hallmark of getting older. I don't. Age is in the heart and mind, and since I've lived a long time with physical problems, betting older just means that I made it through one more good year. My birthday isn't just the day I was born, but also the day my Mother celebrated her first true Mother's Day. July 1st is also my Dad's first Father's Day.

We began cooking early, and our company began to arrive at 5 PM. I'm not going to give out names of family members, as most of them don't even have computers and would probably freak if they knew I was telling folks around the world their names!) but I can say that my Aunt who lives locally, and her daughter and granddaughter came in, as did my great aunt, and her sons and grandson and his wife. My aunt and uncle from out of state were here as well.

Everyone looks wonderful, thank God, and we had a very nice evening. My 'local' aunt gave me a beautiful hand-tuned wind chime for my front porch (I collect them, and love to hear them in the wind), and my aunt and uncle gave me a beautiful canister set from the Cracker Barrel (I've been wanting this set for several months, and they didn't even realize it!) They also gave me an angel figurine, which is sitting on my bar. My couz L gave me a gift certificate to Koffmans, which means I can browse through their stuff and find something in my size. We received several house warming cards and cash gifts, so I can put that towards finding something special for the porch or kitchen.

My parents gave me the best gift of all, just by coming to visit us! But, they also gave me two very cherished things (in addition to all the things they have been pampering us with, such as lights for the porch, electrical stuff, and laughter!) My great aunt had given them a soup tourine for their wedding. It has been part of our holiday dinners at their house for all my life, holding not only wonderful home made soups, but also so many good memories. They gave the tourine to me, for my birthday, which means more to me that words can even begin to express. They also gave me Nonna's silver tea set, which they restored for her many years ago. She didn't want to take the restored set with her when she moved out of state, and so she gave it back to my Mum. My Mum has cherished these two things for so many reasons, none of which are material. And now, I can cherish them, because they hold my childhood memories as well.

Still, the best gift you can ever give me is to share the day with me. having Mum and Dad here means more to us than they will ever know. Just like having Dad (Jeff's Dad) here the week before meant so much to us! Family is the most important thing. It isn't about stuff, or what they can do for you, or what you can get. It's about love. It's about sharing good times and bad. It's about accepting people for who they are and loving them, even when they get on your nerves. It's an honest love, bubbling from the heart, that can be felt just by how they greet you or how you are hugged. Needless to say, our parents give the best hugs! What made my birthday wonderful was sharing that day with everyone. My mother's birthday is on the 13th, and so I included her special day in the celebration today. Yes, I was sad because Jeff's Dad had to return home before today, and yes there are more cousins out there who could not travel to Ohio to visit this week, but they were here with us in spirit.

So, to my family, I say Thank You!

And, to Jeff, and Mum and Dad, I say THANK YOU for EVERYTHING YOU DID TO MAKE THE DAY SPECIAL!! Dad... thank you especially for doing those dishes!