Birth Day

Thursday, August 6, 2009


Tomorrow is my Forty-Second birthday. My first born is heading off to university and my youngest is sixteen. I can hardly believe the swiftness in which time travels. I can remember the birth's of both children like it happened this morning. I can recall the first day of school, skinned knees, moments of quiet, luxurious napping the both of them did until they were five...I have been blessed in all of my days, the difficult ones and the ones brimming with joy. I have learned many lessons and been showered with numerous gifts.

However, this year has been trying and sad and long. I feel ready to package it up with the other Forty-One birthdays, tidy and sweet, tied on the top with a silk ribbon in bright red, a sprig of rosemary tucked under the ribbon. I spent the day passing out postcards and flyers for the new art endeavor, it felt good, closing a year with a bright and shiny new impulse. I even stood up for myself in FedExKinkos. I am truly tired of sub-par customer service. It has been a pet peeve of mine for some time. Today, I spoke my mind. I felt weird as I walked out, calmly after speaking my piece with the supervisor. I vowed to NEVER enter that establishment again. I won't either. When I am done, I am done for good. I was plagued with regret on the drive home. Then, I remembered the essential. Be nice. Just be nice, and helpful, especially when I AM PAYING YOU MONEY FOR A SERVICE. BE NICE, PLEASE.

I feel a little melancholy as I do around most birthdays, but I am looking forward to a new year. This one, like all of the others, is filled with the promise of joy, sorrow and love. I could not ask for more. I am very lucky to be alive.

4 comments:

Recycled Cottage & Garden said...

A very happy birthday and may God grant you many years yet full of joy.
Good for you for standing up today and speaking your mind. I have felt for some time that no one teaches manners anymore though I know some do. I have started to speak my mind about it as well, always politely with the intention that hopefully they will think and change for the better. I figure if no one ever says they are doing it wrong, it will only get worse.

Anonymous said...

Hello - My name is Janice and I found my way here through Mabel's house, who is a blogging friend of my daughter, Belladellasfarm. I so enjoyed my visit and will stop by again soon, to go back and read some of your older post. I read some tonight and they were just what I needed for a little pick me up. Oh, by the way...Happy Birthday and many more filled with happiness and all of what life throws our way:>). Congratulations to your beautiful daughter on her graduation.

Sending you a smile, sunflowers lifting up there bright yellow smiles, baby bunnies coming out in the evening and putting on a show for you, the light of the moon shining down allowing us to see the beautiful creatures of the night and the quiet, so that we may hear the sounds of the earth on its nights journey.

Janice

Kristin Lea said...

happy belated birthday! I hope you prosperity, joy, and many more days of speaking your mind!

Mel said...

Happy belated birthday, lovely fellow leonine friend! Your birthday is the same as my daughter's... ! I'm just under a year ahead of you (mine is this weekend coming up, and twil be 43) and I feel what you are saying. All of it. I too have a pet peeve about customer service. Good for you. We shall find a balance and let them know what we expect with grace, eh? How odd: (though not) that when writing "peeve" I accidentally typed "peace"... lessons to be learned, gently taught... Thank you for summing up my similar feelings about this past "year" with grace and peace and beautiful imagery of passage. I really need/needed that! And thank you for your comment on my blog! I was certain that it published from my email from my phone while I was away this past week, but when I logged on just now, there it was still waiting! (I wrote to you there, as well). Ah well, now I really am back... what there is of me, that is. I observe that zombies are in vogue these days, so I'll take tongue in cheek comfort from that. I love your postings and only wish I had more time to keep up... Happy Happy August (do you love the name as I do?) Birthday!

xo