A birthday wish

Men are like wine: some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age. Pope John XXIII

A misty morning. Trees lurk. Dark spaces filled in with naked branches and towering firs. Brown grass creeps along the grey damp sidewalk, spreading out into the mists beyond edging up to the shadows of the houses lining the street. Quiet. Dank. Morning slips unseen into the day, the sun hiding in the mists beyond my horizon.

It is a morning of mystery. A morning to curl up in bed with a good read. A sipping coffee, furnace humming kind of morning.

And it's B-Day Bash weekend.

C.C. is turning a significant age on Monday. One of those numbers that ends in a a round, plump digit that reminds us that time continues to expand with every breath we breathe. That life is a journey of wholeness. Oneness. And sometimes, hurriedness!

Yesterday, my friend BA flew in from Vancouver. My sister arrived Thursday night. Tonight, we'll all gather at a local pub and celebrate C.C.'s years on earth. Celebrate his spirit's journey. His rounding out of his age.

The bash is also to celebrate my birthday which is the day after C.C.s (d'ya think we planned that?) As I lay in bed this morning, the quiet of the house surrounding me in a warm soft blanket of bliss, I thought about my 50+ years of living. What have I learned? How have I grown? What have I contributed?

I have learned a lot. Grown beyond my imaginings and contributed the best of me as often as I can. I have grown into the woman I have always wanted to be. Fearless. Passionate. Compassionate. Caring. Making a difference.

I am blessed. I am becoming me and I'm happy with me, myself and I.

Contentment settles. I anticipate my day. Lunch with my sisters, daughters and my mother. Shopping with Alexis. A glass of wine with BA and C.C. later this afternoon before the party so we can share more stories, more of what's going well in our lives.

BA and I have a deep connection. I met her when I first got my life back after 'the bad man' was arrested. Along with my sister and her husband with whom I was living, she helped nurture me back to wellness. She listened to me. Talked to me. Cried with me as I struggled to find myself beneath the debris of that journey through hell. We worked in the same office. Would walk Vancouver's streets -- she's about the only woman I know who walks as fast as I do -- and we'd talk. About life. Relationships. Healing. Like me, she'd once encountered a 'bad man' in her life and had tried to make sense of his nonsense. We found our senses together. We went to plays. Movies. Dinner. I hadn't known her before I started working in the same office, but quickly felt like I had known her for forever. Knew I wanted to be her friend forever too.

This evening, BA will be at the party, as will my family and friends who have supported and loved me through this journey called life.

What a wonderful way to celebrate. Surrounded by people I love. Beside the man I love. My daughters beside me. My family and friends gathered round.

I am truly blessed.

My birthday wish for you today is: May you never be able to count all your blessings. May they always grow with each breath you take as you expand into the moment, your heart filled with love and laughter, as you joyfully leap into the freedom of being all you're meant to be.