Birthdays.

Good morning. Happy 20th birthday to dear son #3. wow. Seems like yesterday when he was born. I love sharing my birthday with him...Its a special connection. Yes, its my birthday. Normally as we get older we tend to not think they are so special or want to tell our ages. But that changed for me in 2002!
As many of you know, since you know me, that was the year the old me was put away forever. The new me began. With no say so on my part, obviously.
May 31st, 2002. "I have tough news for you."

Breast cancer. Age 44. Four young children...16, 14, 12 and my only daughter, only 10. I had lost many people in my life by that time, some far too young, including my father who died at age 36 when I was only 4. So I KNEW parents could die young, before their time, before they got to see their children grow up, before they met their grandchildren. There I was having to tell my young kids, it could be them. But I DIDN'T say anything like that when I told them. I knew I shattered their young world, knew that I took the safety rug right out from under them. I told them I would be okay. I felt it. I prayed for it. I prayed I would be here to see them all graduate...and in less than 3 months, the last one will be. I pray now I get to see them married and have kids of their own and that I get to meet those kids and enjoy them.

Birthdays. That is what I was talking about. But I can't talk about those without talking about that fateful call . That call and that year changed everything for me. It changed me physically. It changed my inside as well. I decided no matter what it was time to LIVE this life and I have tried to. I sing, I dance, I laugh, I love. And I have birthdays.

Today is #8. So I am going to celebrate like an 8 year old would. I am going to eat cake, sing Happy Birthday, laugh and have a great day!!

I hope you will join me.

That, my friends, is what is on my mind right now!