Another Birthday. Another Attitude Change. Another Day to Celebrate Life.

My birthday is on a Monday, a normal workday, and a proposal deadline. Albeit, I am determined to have a good day.

A Little Indulgance
I plan on enjoying croissants and fruit for breakfast, a visit to Starbucks for a seasonal eggnog latte treat, and then, after I survive a crazy day of work, going out with my family for sushi for dinner. Oh, and maybe enjoy a mocha, mud pie (anyone know where I can get one of those) for dessert, because, hey, why not indulge for the day? I am also hoping that Mr/s Weatherperson gives us give us the forecast of a 30 degree drop from today's 80 degree temperature so that I can wear my favorite sweater tomorrow.

Manic Mondays
I remember a birthday that fell on a Monday while I was at college. My birthday always falls on finals week and due to the craziness of that time, no one would remember that it was my birthday. That particular year, I had three finals on my birthday; the first one was scheduled for 7am. On top of the full day, I had another final set for early the next day that I had to still study for that. In between finals, I sat on the curb and cried. Cried my heart out because I was so exhausted and I thought I had just flunked my first final. I pulled myself together, got up and went back to my dorm room to study when I saw the big sheet, birthday cake on my desk from my mom; big enough to share with everyone on that floor. My mom came through. She also gave me a sweater as a gift, and, if you knew me at all you would know that, I love my sweaters (and why do I live in this warm weather climate again?).


Those Young People Think They are so Cool and All
Celebrating another birthday is getting more, and more, difficult as time passes. I'm getting older and I am having a difficult time accepting that fact. Age has such a stigma and the younger look up to the older with less respect. How do we get around falling into society's trap that "younger is better"?

Childlike Excitement
For my kids' birthdays I fill their rooms with the number of balloons of their age so they can wake up to those colorful, floating material all around them. Then we make a breakfast of their choice and go out or make a dinner of their own selection. They open their presents in the morning and I hang a big "Happy Birthday" Scooby Doo sign in the dinning room. We try to make such a big deal about celebrating them and their lives each year. They can't wait to grow another year older. My eight year old can't wait to turn nine because eight was the longest year of his life. What happened to our little child excitement on a our very special day?

Beauty from the Inside Out!
As adults we have to face that we are getting older and we still have to go to work and meet deadlines even on the day we were born. And plus, we are feeling old, cranky, and achy, although I'm determined to stay up past 9:30pm.

We all work so hard to loose weight, whiten our teeth, visit the dermatologist more frequently, buy more expensive face creams, and color our hair every six weeks, but what are we doing to grow more mature, to be more loving, to learn life lessons, to grow more beautiful on the inside?

I know that our attitudes about age really affect our here and now and I'm determined to celebrate life daily. How do you approach each birthday? With dread or celebration? How do you celebrate you?

Here is to another birthday; a year committed to working on an eternal beauty, striving for what is not of this world, an inner being that radiates love, and an attitude that is willing to forgive. Here is to looking our very best than ever before from the inside and out! Here is to another year of life.

PS While I am still trying to embrace life and enjoy every moment in the here in now, I'm still going to start fibbing about my age, starting next year.