Benign Birthday

I remember as a kid being so excited about my birthday. I would count the days for months ahead and mark them off on the calendar. Adding another year to my age was so exciting. The first birthday I remember being super excited about was my 13th. I could not wait to be a teenager. I thought everything would be suddenly so much more exciting. It was for a while, but then the novelty wore off.

The next milestone was 16. I wanted to drive so badly. Most of my friends turned 16 before I did and were driving their cars to school. I really, really wanted to be one of them. My mom took me to take my driving test. I passed both portions pretty easily, so she let me drive home. I remember coming up to a light and she said "Okay, now you need to turn left." I panicked and said "But I don't know HOW to turn left! I've never turned left before!" She calmly explained that I just needed to turn the wheel gently and then let the car right itself, just like a right turn. She didn't even freak out when I turned right in front of the oncoming traffic without yielding. She just (again calmly) explained that I needed to yield the right of way because I didn't have an arrow. I kept wondering what I had learned in all of those driver's ed classes. Whatever it was, as soon as I got behind the wheel for real, it left me.

Twenty one wasn't a big deal for me. I didn't drink and didn't care that I was legal, so that one was pretty uneventful in terms of milestones. I was married and about to give birth to my first child, so I was more focused on that than anything.

Yesterday I turned 37. Not a milestone in any terms, but another year of living and learning. This is the year I've vowed to be less shy and introverted. I'll be put to the test tonight when we attend a birthday party for a friend. This is the wine tasting thing I blogged about a month or so ago. I don't care what happens, I'm NOT swishing and spitting. So what was my birthday like? I worked a little, my kids baked me a cake, Brent bought me four pounds (yes pounds) of Cadbury chocolate, a carrot cake from my favorite bakery (the kids' cake was better) and a new cell phone. My dad gave me some money, and I got a lot of cards in the mail from friends and relatives. It was a perfect day.

I thought of my birth mother as I do every year on my birthday and said a prayer for her. I hope that she is happy and healthy and that she knows Jesus. I thought of my own mom and how much I miss her call first thing in the morning, her lovely voice singing Happy Birthday to me.