A Birthday Carole

My birthday is tomorrow. I guess I am still young enough to admit my age..so, here goes: I will be 34. I always get nostalgic during the week leading up to my birthday. For example, I am visited by The Ghost of Birthdays Past.
Most days I cant remember where I lay my keys but I can remember my 5th Birthday Party like it was yesterday!

Growing up, I had some fun birthday parties. 

Take 1988, for example when we invited my friends to a swim party at the University(indoor) pool in my hometown! I had an ALF cake that year! In 1990, I turned 10 and I invited 3 friends over for my first slumber party and... Get this! We had to pile in the van and go to a store full of VHS tapes that could be rented and returned!! (After it was rewound first-obviously!) It's how we, pioneers did it...before Netflix!

We rented the movie "Beetlejuice" and ordered pizza.

The Birthday when I was 4th grade was my last big birthday party and it was a Bart Simpson themed skate party-that most my friends left early from to go to a Taylor Dayne concert. (I guarantee you did not expect to think about Taylor Dayne today! You are so welcome for that!)

Most of my high school Birthdays were spent cheering football games. My 18th Birthday was celebrated at a regional playoff game 2 hours away from home. All was made right with me when the entire football team sang "happy birthday" to me after the game at a Ryan's Steakhouse.
(It was super dreamy!)

As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that your Birthday is truly your New Year! The "start over" that you might be needing! The push you might need to start something you have been putting off until later.

So tonight, on the Eve of my Birthday I am hoping to be visited by The Ghost of Birthday Present- to remember to be grateful for all the blessings I have! As a peek through the window of what is, I hope that I am reminded of the abundance of blessings in my life! My family, my friends, a great church, a warm house, good health, and opportunities that I have right now!

It seems like the present always gets a bad wrap. Do you ever notice that when we are asked how long we have been married, or how long we have been at a job, that we say :


"Oh... It will be 13 years this summer..."

Why don't we say: "12 years."

It's easy to get so busy that we don't see the forest because of all of the trees.  I have a lot to celebrate and so do you! The question is, have we made time to recognize it?

I also hope to get a visit from The Ghost of Birthdays Yet to Come.


This is the place I tend to spend most of my time. I live in the future-sometimes to a fault. I'm always daydreaming and thinking about what next! The years certainly are flying by and before we know it time slips away from us!  Just as we do each year on New Year's Eve, I think it is important to set some goals that we have for our new birth year. I'm a visual person, I have to see something tangible to keep it close to my mind!

Make a list! Tape to your bathroom mirror or hang it on your refrigerator to remind you of those things you want to accomplish!

Your Birthday is a fresh start and it's never too late! Let's make this year the best year yet!

Happy Birthday-Happy New Year!