Another Year Older

Well, today is my birthday, and I must admit it feels a bit odd. I think birthdays usually do. Let me explain—it feels like it should be unique, fun-filled, or celebratory. However, if I’m fortunate (more later), it is just a regular day with people wishing me a happy day instead of a good day (most people I see wish me a good day everyday).

I could have taken a vacation day from work. I could have planned a Christmas shopping trip (and goodness knows I need to). I could have made plans with this person or that one for birthday coffee or lunch, but I didn’t want to. Why? Well, I don’t know why, but I think it’s because I’m uncomfortable with the spotlight. I don’t want to be noticed, well, that’s not exactly it. Of course, I want to be noticed and spoken to and acknowledged. I don’t want to be ignored; I don’t want others to roll their eyes and sigh, wishing I hadn’t come upon the scene. I want others to be glad I’m there, but not too much. Does that make any sense?

I checked out “birthdays” in the scriptures and it wasn’t pretty. The only ones mentioned are Pharaoh who had a party and hanged his baker. Job's kids had a lot of birthday parties, but he lost all of them at one. And King Herod had a birthday party and John the Baptist ended up losing his head. Birthday parties did not work out very well in the bible.

My most memorable birthdays are the ones that went awry (the unfortunate part from above). Isn’t that often true? Regular days go by with scarcely a look back offering little to be remembered, but the difficult ones are unforgettable. I notice that it’s the hiccups in life that make it interesting and memorable. Perhaps life would be dull if all went smoothly and easily (I know it sounds like it would be nice to try it once for a short while at least).

Let me tell you about a birthday I remember. My boys were little bitty guys and my mother happened to be down for the day which worked out great as a babysitter. Because, it rained! No, I mean it really rained—a downpour rain that went on and on. Now our house is between two creeks and our street has two storm drains that empty into one of them, one on each side of the street. In early December there are mounds of leaves from the plentiful trees along the creeks. When it rains, the leaves plug the drains and well, you get the idea.

Someone has to wade into the flooded street with a leaf rake and scrape the leaves out of the drain so that the water can escape into the creek and the street can again be passable. The process has to be repeated over and over because the leaves re-assemble in the drain and the water in the street again rises.

My husband was teaching high school in those days and was not available to do the scraping. So, I spent that birthday dressed in gum boots and a yellow hooded highway worker’s raincoat, standing in pouring rain with a leaf rake in my hand scraping the leaves out of the drain. Then, I walked to the other side of the street and repeated the process. Back and forth, from the south side to the north side and back to the south side of the street, scraping the leaves and throwing them off to the side where I hoped they would not rejoin the leaves headed for the drains.

You know, that was more than 25 years ago, but I recall it vividly this December 3. I’m glad I had that day to remember. It wasn’t enjoyable at the time but produced a cool memory to enjoy for years. Many ordinary birthdays have come and gone (and I’m talking MANY) that I’ve forgotten, but the out-of-the-ordinary ones find a permanent place in the corner of my mind and are fun to re-visit occasionally.

Oh, there were good old days, “Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when…my children were around me.” Job 29:4-5 But I’m glad to be here this birthday with my grandchildren. May it be said of me, “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother … and in your mother … and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Timothy 1:5