Birthday

I'm not a great one for birthdays, but I've got one today, and it was nice to receive good wishes from (a few) family and friends. I don't really celebrate my birthday, and I think a lot of people who know me know that about me, and leave me be (or, perhaps I should say, have given up on me). It's also true that most of my family and many of my friends are hopeless at remembering birthdays! Nonetheless, I do quite enjoy having a birthday, if only because it's an annual reminder that I'm still going! This one's been a busy working day, as it happens, and I'm happy with that. And it's also been sunny and pleasant, if rather cold; so the world around has looked bright and happy.

Looking back, as I was in conversation earlier on today, it's a little scary to discover just how long ago the times really are that I still think of as 'only yesterday'. I suppose, too, that when I seriously count up the years, I'm bound to be aware that future birthdays are going to be more about time ticking away than about new opportunities and things to look forward to. Even so, I shall always endeavour to be a 'glass half full' person, finding the blessings and the giftings in each situation, and looking at the world around and the road ahead with a sunny and hopeful disposition.

No parties, though; maybe it's worth celebrating the big birthdays (and this isn't one of them), but in general, at my age anyway, birthday parties always seem to me to have something desperate about them . . . an attempt to shut out the realities of life for a while, and pretend that it's all all right. Well, I'd rather embrace those realities and get on with living!