A Celebration of My Blessings

My post today is not going to center on writing. This is my birthday, my special day of the year, one I look forward to. Not for the presents and cake so much as the many greeting cards and email or facebook messages, and the phone calls. 

It's not because I seek attention, although that is always rather nice. Instead, each year I am reminded by all the greetings I receive that I am blessed with so many friends and a wonderful family. You can't wrap friendship in a box and tie it with a pink ribbon but it's a treasured gift to be valued each and every day of the year. When my birthday arrives every May 29th, it is a reminder of what all these people mean to me now and for years past. You can't put family in a gift box either but they are priceless in value.

When the mailman delivers those many envelopes that hold birthday cards, I open them to read both the verse and the personal note or letter that comes with many of them. Each signature says Love and a name of someone I care about. Every time I see the name on one of the cards, I'm reminded of so many good times with the person or about some wonderful words they had for me when I needed them most. I think of the support given to me when I ventured into the writing world. And so much more.

I can group these people into high school friends, college friends, teaching days friends, those whose friendship develped in the different communites we've lived in during our marriage, bridge player friends, church friends, P.E.O. friends, writer friends and more. I consider each one of those people a blessing in my life. They have all added to my world in ways they may never realize. As have my family--including my husband, children, grandchildren, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, my brothers, nieces and nephews. 

So, a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have been a part of my life for these ____ years! (Didn't think I was gonna tell you the number did you?) A special thanks to my blog readers, as well. You, too, have given me something special in my writing world.