Birthday Blessings

Birthday brunch. Birthday box. Birthday beauty. Birthday breath-taker. Birthday bounty. Birthday bonanza. Birthday best. Birthday bauble. Birthday bling. Birthday benefits.

Imagine my surprise as Sarah presented me with a little box after our meal together. Lifting the lid on this fuzzy black jewelry parcel, my brain was imagining all the possibilities that could await inside. As many thoughts raced thru my mind, not once in those nano-seconds did I imagine what was in store for me as I opened the lid.

There cozied inside was a rose gold ribbon, complete with three shining pink saphires. Sarah had taken the lead on designing a custom made celebration, a custom designed victory marker. She explained that everyone had been involved with this gift...... that the three gleaming stones represented the three of us, mom and both daughters: Deborah, Sarah and Noelle.

What an amazing benefit comes from birthdays. The chance to reflect. The opportunity to count blessings. A unique platform to survey the journey behind and anticipate the adventure ahead. Birthdays: bring 'em on!

The three stones mean a lot of things to me: past, present and future. Beginning, middle and end. Yesterday, today and tomorrow. Faith, hope and love. Mom and each unique daughter. And as I pause to enumerate the triads I'm also reminded by the three stones that I am headed for my third 'cancerversary' -- just around the next corner. I'm reminded of the miracles of this season. The miracles of family, friendship and faith. Faithandfifty is now faithandfiftyTHREE!! I always get choked up by the commercial from the American Cancer Society that intones 'the official sponsor of birthdays.'

Now I'll be getting choked up putting my choker round my neck in celebration of that very fact. (It will be the shining compliment to my new striped tights and my new pink & white striped high tops.... I've always told you that it's all in the details, it's all in the acessories.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.