My birthday is November 8th, tomorrow! I’ll be 52 years old! I remember when I was six, I told my mother that 21 was OLD. 🙂
Decades of skipped birthdays
I used to get a little down about birthdays and totally ignored them. From age 11 until sux years ago, I did not throw any kind of birthday party. Instead, birthdays were something to mentally avoid.
This was reinforced by the fact that my late wife Claudia was extremely ill for many years, to the point of requiring an IV twice a day and shots to keep her breathing. During those long, difficult years, my attention was focused on my work and on keeping her alive. I had no friends at all. There was no one, besides Claudia (except her son, who had some real issues), in my life in any way, shape or form.
Learning to celebrate again
Six years ago I, for the first time in decades, threw myself a party. I invited lots of friends to a small pirate shop, and even put together a lineup of 8 dancers.
You see, the shock of watching my late wife die for over ten years, and then breathing her last breath as her life force left her, caused me to realize that life comes to an end someday. It is the only thing in this world that we will all, regardless of age or social class, are promised and will absolutely receive.
Thus, I now celebrate each new year of life with as much gusto as possible. Birthdays have become a very happy event, and my celebration goes on for a few days.
This year I have allocated the whole week, starting from November 3rh and completing on November 11th, to celebration my 52nd year on this planet.
I’m throwing two large parties, large for me, and I’ve invited some of my very favorite people and best friends to perform.
I have rediscovered friendship, and I have rediscovered that life is worth living for it’s own sake, thanks to my friends in the belly dance and faire communities. I owe them all more than they can know for their willingness to be, in greater or lessor degree, my friend.
Thank you all for allowing me to be part of your life these past years, and thank you for another year of friendship.
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