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Sixty years old. Sixty years young. Just plain old sixty years of life. That's me and this is the week for celebrating and reflecting on the past as I look forward to maybe another sixty years. Come on, wishing is good!! And so is the celebrating. In fact, I think I've been having a birthday bish-bah (a word coined by my friend, Lynn) from the beginning of June to these last few days of the month.
My initial party was provided by my sweetie sorority sisters at the Russian Tea Room in downtown Chicago. I love tea, especially when served in little floral teapots with delicate cups and saucers. I imagine myself as a character from a Jane Austen novel having delightful conversation and tea in that perfectly perfect English manner.
Next, I went from that uniquely English party (I am an English teacher and love all things English.) to an all-American tailgate party at U.S. Cellular Field with the Chicago White Sox. I must admit that I had a metamorphosis from being a Cub fan to a White Sox fan since daughter number two worked for the organization. The White Sox won, the scoreboard exploded with fireworks and a Happy Birthday to me was posted on the jumbo tron. Yahoo! What fun is that!
Lastly, I had a birthday dinner with my immediate family. We ate Greek food, we toasted, we laugh and we all told stories. Everyone had an amusing story to tell of events from the past, especially the high school foibles of my girls and the recent European travels of the boys at the table. When the kids toasted me they asked what advice I would give them from my vast years of experience. Cherish friends and family, laugh a lot, and never forget Jesus. I think that sums it up fairly well.
Now, besides all the celebration, I have been doing some reflection. Like those t-shirts that say "Life is Good," life is good and God especially has been very good to me. My husband has survived two major life threatening illnesses and my children and I are healthy and we all have productive jobs that provide us with many extras along with the necessities of life; friends abound and indeed life is good!
The day before my actual birthday, my husband and I were at mass and I was praying for an inspirational verse for my birthday. The Psalm reading of the day went like this:
I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
O LORD, you have probed me, you know me:you know when I sit and when I stand;you understand my thoughts from afar.My journeys and my rest you scrutinize,with all my ways you are familiar.
I praise you for I am wonderfully made.
Truly you have formed my inmost being;you knit me in my mother's womb.I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;wonderful are your works.
I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
My soul also you knew full well;nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret,when I was fashioned in the depths of the earth.
I praise you, for I am wonderfully made.
HOW'S THAT FOR A SIXTY YEAR OLD FROM THE SIXTIES
FEELING GROOVY!
One more thing. On the way home from dinner with the kids this was the song that was playing on the radio. It was a blast from the past that is very fitting to my life today.
Congratulations cousin. I'm glad that you had such a great evening with friends and family. Remember, Moses didn't start his ministry until he was eighty years old. There's a lot more Jesus has for you in the years ahead.
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