I have never, ever minded a birthday. I will celebrate from the first day of the month until the last day. At my age, I've always felt you get a birthmonth, not a birthday. I will plan a birthday party for myself in a heartbeat. In other words, I'm not usually self-conscious about my age or my aging.
This year, though, I am not so excited. And I think it all has to do with my thing for numbers. My birthday number feels odd and old and undesirable.
"Ugh," as my youngest daughter would say.
14 comments:
But don't you like odd in other areas of life? And find oddness interesting and engaging?
Maybe you could start calling them quirky numbers instead of odd numbers.
I have to say it reassures me that someone who does accounting can have a quirky emotional response to particular numbers.
I always feel I'm doing well if I know which of a set of numbers is the largest.
Happy Quirky Almost-Birthday, Mamie.
About birthdays: I really hate it when people say age is just a number. While I can't claim the intimate relationship with numbers you have, I do feel "just a number" shows a meagerness of understanding and respect.
Early today I wrote this about seeing you yesterday. "I love her big personality, big hugs, ready smile, openness, generosity, willingness to share herself, her time, her love. She isn't perfect and doesn't try to be or try to make others think she is. Around Mamie, I feel I am larger in spirit, expansive."
You wouldn't be the you I wrote about without every one of your years, odd, even or some other thing that is not just a number.
Happy Day!
Hey! If I cook you a b'day dinner, will that make it any better?
I'll be home from Cali by Feb 1st. Let me know ... Ms. Gina can be the entertainment!
What lovely TRUE things Trisha said about you!
<3,
Mit
Peggy, I'll try your tricks. Quirky sounds good.
Mit, good food ALWAYS cheers a person up, as do friends like you.
Trisha, you've made me cry two days in a row. Thanks for your beautiful words.
Whatever number it is, have a happy one! It could always be worse.
It is good to be queen. Long live the Queen!
Happy birthday, Mamie. I have that same issue with birthdays that have numbers I'm not as fond of. It has nothing to do with the age itself, just the numbers. I'm the same way about phone numbers, addresses, etc.
I'm hitting an odd number year in February, and my consolation is that if you add the numbers all together you eventually get to 4. Which is a nice, solid number, if not my favorite.
(even odder - my favorite number is 7, not even, but very special)
Interestingly enough, Billie, you are the seventh commenter on this post! Seven is a number I love too. So maybe I should just see this as the seventh year of my fifties...lucky, huh?
Funny - that I was the 7th comment!
I just realized that using my Leap Year birthday calculation, this will be my 12 1/4 year, which is even odder but if you add those up you get 8, which is infinity and my second favorite number. :)
You are a 'hot mama' no matter what age you are!!! I hope your day is a blast!!! And yes, let's do get together and celebrate!!!
I've got an "odd number" birthday coming up in about a week, and it's freaking me out a little. What typically freaks me out is because I'm the youngest, and I so remember my sibs being my age.
I'm labeling this year as my Farewell to My Thirties Tour, so dammit, I'm going to get some laughs out of it!
Happy Birthday, Mamie! Many blessings of joy, good health, good food and company (especially if it's Mit's and Gina's!), and good writing!
P.S. word verifcation: noncomag. any odd year of one's birthday over 37.
3 points from your friend, Belinda:
1. I am compelled to share the wise saying of my friend Mabel, who, as a pedestrian on Morgan St. unexpectedly and unfortunately stopped a car with her head, said car being driven by by an ex-nun who ran a red light at noon one November day in 1993: "Every day above ground is a good day." I should add that every year since, Mabel celebrates 2 birthdays--her original and what she calls her "second chance birthday." She also adopted the life motto "carpe diem." Not original, but a great reminder.
2. I second Trisha's eloquent sentiments and cannot improve upon them.
3. I love you, I bless you, and I appreciate you, my friend.
I'm with the wise Mabel. Any day I'm vertical is a good day.
The story about Mabel reminds me of something I read about Huston Smith. He is an octogenarian, and every morning upon waking, sits up and shouts, "YES!!"
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