BIRTHDAY WEEKEND

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

Independence Day. America's birthday.

It's also my sister's birthday and another friend of mine's on July 4th.

And last night I was at the birthday party of yet another friend. She turned 30 - she's a child. :) Just kidding. I think my 30's have been GREAT for the most part, so I believe she has a lot to look forward to - in essence, her life is really just beginning.

Birthdays can be hard for a lot of people - me included. Perhaps it has to do with how we feel about aging in this country. I don't like the idea of "growing old". I am not sorry for the wisdom and maturity I have gained over the years (we can debate on the amount another time), and I think I have remained very youthful in spirit (and frankly I work hard to remain youthful in body and mind as well). And all of my friends are the same way, really. So why do we dread birthdays?

Think about it - we CELEBRATE America's birthday with fireworks and cook-outs. It's INDEPENDENCE DAY. Maybe we should be thinking about our own birthdays as our personal Independence Day. Each year lessons are learned and certainly you gain independence from SOMETHING over the course of a year. Why not celebrate that? And why not with fireworks - or other fun (and slightly dangerous) ways?

The party I went to last night had games. Pin the Gray Hair on the Birthday Girl (basically Pin the Tail on the Donkey re-conceived). Lousy Loused-Up Lyrics. And part of her celebration was everybody had to suggest a song for her birthday playlist - that was some playlist! And it was played over the course of the party. THAT'S the way to ring in your 30th year - or any year.

Growing up, my sister always associated birthdays with fireworks - shouldn't that always be the way? So happy birthday America - and everybody. May you always celebrate your personal Independence Day with fireworks of some kind.