One year closer to 50!

Tomorrow marks 46 years that I have been a part of this world. Of course, that's 46 years of all kinds of joy, mixed with sorrow, confusion, anxiety, excitement, and occasional boredom! I've spent many years trying to recreate the "joy" that I felt as a child on my birthday. By that, I mean that I have bugged, nagged, and been a general nuisance to my husband and children; reminding them that my birthday was coming up, at least 2 weeks in advance. I made sure they knew the kind of cake I wanted and where to get it. This year is different. I've decided to enjoy my day as it unfolds, whatever it holds. And I must admit that I'm feeling good about it already!


Living in the moment sounds good, and may seem like an easy task. I've found it to be fairly difficult. I can imagine that there are probably many people like myself, who want life to look a certain way, feel a certain way, to the point that we expend inordinate amounts of energy and time on creating our 'ideal', only to miss out on so much of life's unexpected joys.

Birthdays are funny things. I know more people who say they dislike birthdays than those who say they like them. I know several people who claim, "I don't have birthdays anymore". Well, I've always loved them. No, I haven't "loved" getting older, but I love celebrations! And what better to celebrate than another year of life? But I do wonder how often people actually take time to reflect on what they've learned in the past year and what lessons they might take with them into the next year of life? I don't know that I've ever done that before. This year will be different. I will use this year's birthday lesson of letting go of expectations and enjoying life as it presents itself as a guide for my 47th year. Who knows? I might find even more joy in even more unexpected places!

The truth is that none of us knows how many more years we have to live. We don't know how many more birthdays we have to celebrate. May we enjoy, celebrate, and appreciate our life each day, each moment, each joy. Happy birthday to you!

Father Larry Lorenzoni: Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the
longest.