Happy Birthday to me...and Facts of Five!



ahhh, wasn't I cute?



I presume once you hit fifty, and creeping on the other side at fifty-one as I am today it’s only proper to reflect, ponder, wonder, and question your life; at least that’s where I am on this calendar day; November 18th. Like numerous people around the world the birth into my family resulted in a great deal of heartache, distress, and immense suffering. However, in the company of a few superb therapists; Barbara, Martha and Tanya I found healing.


So today, on my birthday I am choosing to spotlight five gifts I’ve blessed myself with and no, they weren’t enclosed in fancy paper with lavish embellishments. They are most extraordinary gifts because they come from within and continue to be years in the making. What's more, aren’t we are all searching for gifts from within? …at least this ‘old lady’ is…

1.) Self-Acceptance: So I finally realized, although it took me this long, that I don’t have the perfect body, need I say more? Although on days, I continue to strive for that elusive goal…Would I like to lose that extra twenty pounds I carry? Do I wish my hair were fuller, more manageable, and more beautiful without 30 or so minutes in front of the mirror? And to add a cherry to the top of the mound of beauty; sore knees, bad back, the gray hairs, hot flashes, restless nights AND wrinkles! Life, you insist on all THAT too? Again, self acceptance- this body has endured and carried me to this day so imperfections and all stay if you must!


Of course, forever getting my hair 'just right!

 2.) Compassion: and all that this entails; good listening skills, empathy, insight, patience, sympathy, blah, blah, blah…Indeed forgive me if I sound like I’m bragging, but this is one of my best qualities. The heartaches have carved a path to be the rock and the giver to others and herded me into my vocation as a special education teacher. I love this job which I can say because I'm on vacation!

3.) Sense of Humor: Don’t we all need the ability to laugh at ourselves and our blunders and bloopers? I certainly do thank God I have this gift…I definitely need it on a day to day basis! And just when I forget this little treasure, God is sure to jog my memory me with an incident of attempting to put the milk in the pantry or forgetting why I walked into a room; ummm, yeah, thanks for the reminder!



I tolerated THIS, didn't I?

 4.) Tolerance: The dictionary describes tolerance as sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own. I love my spectrum of friends for their vast diversities and unique contributions to this world. How blessed I am to have all these exceptionally goofy people in my life, and yeah, I’m probably talking about YOU here~

5.) Creativity: Not only do I appreciate my talents of writing, scrapbooking, photography but more so to use this innovation to view the world in all its heartaches of death, disease and destruction and see it for what it is; every individual on this Earth at any given moment is doing the best they can with whatever trials and tribulations they possess. It is in paramount proportions that I remember this in the most basic sense in order to not go mad with the insanity of our world today.

So I conclude with this; with all these gifts, who needs presents?