I discovered something while celebrating my 47th
birthday this past weekend. Having a non-milestone birthday is like going to
prom with someone who is just a friend.
You know what I mean, right? Having a birthday, any birthday
is really nice. Don’t get me wrong, it’s just the fanfare isn’t there like it
is when you turn 21, 30 or the big 4-0. People acknowledge on your facebook wall
and you receive some cards, but it’s more like…”hey, it’s your birthday..yay”.
As opposed to the parties and hoopla that often surround a milestone.
I am not complaining, far from it. It’s just an observation.
It makes me think of my grade 12 prom when I went with a friend. I feel
terrible because we had a great time, but his name escapes me. He didn’t have a
girlfriend, I didn’t have a boyfriend, so we went together. Kind of a “hey, it’s
your prom…yay.”
None of the fireworks or romance, just a nice time. I had
someone to hold my hair back when I puked and he got to walk in with a hot
babe. Not necessarily in that order.
Strangely as I sit here writing this, I realize I feel much
the same at 47 as I did at 17. I’m sure I’ve matured. I know I’ve made some
adult decisions along the way. Heck, I’ve been married more than once and I
have a teenager. Still, I enjoy much of the things about life that I enjoyed at
17.
That’s part of the beauty of having a birthday, any
birthday. Even on those “off” milestone years, you get the opportunity to
reflect on your life and your place in the world. Memories pleasant and
otherwise bubble to the service and you see just how far you’ve come.
I look in the mirror and still see the kid I used to be. I
see the person who has withstood a lot of adversity and can still laugh every
single day. That’s a gift. Every day you wake up alive is a gift whether it’s a
milestone year or not.
I look in the mirror and I realize that I wear 47 well. Yay.
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