Birthdays

Today would've been my maternal grandmother's birthday. I think she would've been a young 73 today. She passed away when I was just shy of my 20th birthday at the tender age of 56. So if you are doing the math, she was 36 when I was born. Ya...welcome to the world of the Irish Catholic.

Every year since she passed away, I light a candle today to remember her life. She was the nucleus of our family, and soon after her passing, our family went separate ways and it has never been "One" since, and that was almost 20 years ago.

But the point is, that it is her Birthday that makes me remember this. I try to notice these on my facebook everyday and make a point of wishing people well on their birthdays. It's the one day that you get to feel is your one special day of the year.

It starts when you are young, and everyone makes a big deal about your birthday. Your parents throw you a big party to showcase you, and have lots of people around to celebrate the day that you were born. And as the years go by, you become quite attached to this day. You usually volunteer that it's your birthday to receive the "Happy Birthday" response that everyone will give you. I don't know why, but it makes us feel so important on that day. You almost wake up that day and feel invincible. -That today, nothing can happen to you because it's your birthday.

As the years pass by, your birthday becomes a little less important. You have kids, and their birthdays usurp your birthday. You slowly put your special day on the back burner because at that age, all the birthdays in your life just make you one year older. And we don't want to get older, do we?

But nothing, not even aging can stop the process of knowing that for just one day of the year, it is your special day. And on that day to receive the well wishes from people you know and love, and that they remembered you... Well, that makes you feel like King or Queen for a day.

Call it escapism, or just the warm fuzzy that accompanies that moment within your heart. It takes such little effort and yet it means so much. –Even if they don’t show it, it tickles their heart, I promise you.

And that's all anybody wants to feel on their special day...

King or Queen for a day.