One For The Ages

A year ago my own birthday nearly skipped by me without even realizing it. Up at Mom's on my own while she recuperated in the hospital from surgery, I got a couple of late wishes from people before the midnight hour (fair enough, since my birth time was about 9 at night).

This year was the opposite!

8:00: Got to work just in time to run a staff meeting. Someone figured out it was my birthday, and led the room in "Happy Birthday" song. It had probably been twenty years since I got a birthday serenade.

9:30: E-mail check. My Life Tax friend Lisa Holland sent an e-card! Voice mail check. Leadership McLean County (LMC) friend Brandi Peterson left a singing birthday wish... geez now twice in two hours.

10:00: 1-on-1 weekly meeting with my boss. He brings in the ceremonial birthday rose and card. Ten minutes later... thirty people congregate outside my office door and lead me out for another round of singing. Make it three times!

3:00: Clean bill of health from the dentist!

4:30: E-mail check at home. Whoa... thirty birthday notes on Facebook! What was really cool was the mixture of fondest memories it brought back in a "This Is Your Life" sort of way:

Boyhood pal: Matt West

Grade school: Ron Dukes, Laura Monaco, Lynn Obenza, Jeff Dolle, Rebecca Sparks, Krystina Paraiso, Chelsea Tolentino

High school: Tamara Lukes, Cathy Kmet, Heather Holtz, Heather Husch

ISU Student Alumni Council: Jennifer Knight, Laura Toncray, Nicole Gladish, Julie Goodlick, Rhonda Ossola

ISU Walker Hall/Honors: Amy Scott, Marianne Kaleta, Jen Burke, Tammy Counts, Chris Lundeen, Michelle Cornelius, Becky Mentzer, Jen Gresens

State Farm: Tyson Mohr, Melissa Henrikson, Rhonda Brackman

LMC: Heather Young, Matt Giordano, Melanie Ellsworth, Debbie McMahon, Angie Scott, Kirt McReynolds, Scott Arnold, Joann Schuster, Sue Necessary, Denise Eyre

The band: Austin Kern, Julie Legner

Calvary UMC: Willis Kern, Rob Stogsdill, Susan Hoss

The fam and extended fam: Dena, Dona, Jack, Jane, Ann, Rosann, Staley

The list hardly does justice to the strength of the happy times that most of these people gave me. It's a who's who list of funny, caring, loyal, talented, trustworthy people. There are a hundred blogworthy memories (hmmm...) that bring the smiles rushing back. Many of them, perhaps without knowing it, have helped me become a slightly better person by modeling an aspect of character that I admire and have tried to make my own.

Life passes by quickly enough that those golden moments wash away too easily. How lucky I am to have gotten this tidal wave of a gift! It not only reminds me of the healing, comforting and reinforcing value of those friendships past and present, but the importance of getting out of the house and continuing to jump into new ones going forward. God willing, there will be many more years to put that into practice!