A Very Zen Birthday

Last year on my birthday Barack Obama was being inaugurated. It was all over my TV and all that anyone could talk about, including my mother. She called me up bright and early that morning bursting with excitement about how history was being made, how great Michelle Obama looked in her dress, and just how wonderful the day was in general. I listened and waited...and then waited some more. No "Happy Birthday" from the woman that birthed me.

So I tried giving her a hint; I agreed with her that today was a great day and all that jazz but wondered aloud if there was anything else special about today, maybe something a little more personal. She couldn't think of anything. I dropped a slew of hints and continued to come up snake eyes with her. For 10 whole hours 34 years ago that day last year, she laid in labor giving birth to her one and only child and it did not occur to her that it was our anniversary. I was hurt. I felt unloved and insignificant. That whole birthday was downhill from there.

But this year, I removed my heart from my sleeve. My only expectations for today were to relax at home, watch movies in the rain, and basically just blow the day off doing little to nothing. And to my surprise the love poured in from every direction :) Calls all day long. I ended up being treated to lunch too, despite flash flood warnings on the news. I took off work, played on the internet, ate junk food, watched chick flicks, and didn't brush my teeth until 5 pm. It was fabulous! My gift to me this year was a choice between a pair of $180 jeans and a $15 kooky Zen comedy book. Denim or book. I decided on the book. Nobody's denim is worth damn near $200.

Today I am 35 years young and completely at peace :D