The Birthday Gift

Today is my 54th birthday.  It’s barely daybreak and I ran across Ashley Campbell’s song, “Remember.”

As I sit at my desk listening to her words and music, I look up, and perfectly centered out my picture window is a plane traveling eastward ascending towards the sky.

The sun’s rays are illuminating the plane’s vapor trail in a soft pink hue against a faint blue sky.  It looks like the Universe/God is holding a crayon drawing a straight line on a vast canvas.  I hear the words, “Welcome to this new day, Vic.  Happy Birthday.  Life is moving forward, you are moving forward, and so is Mom. Continue to have faith in Me and know that everything is as it is supposed to be.”  I smiled.

I felt very peaceful as I watched that line slowly press on while Ashley sang, “Bone for bone we are the same.  Bones get tired and can’t carry all the weight.  We can talk until you can’t even remember my name.  Daddy don’t you worry, I’ll do the remembering…”

After 54 years of life, I have no regrets and I am happy.  I am very lucky.  I have a handful of people I love very much, who know I love them very much.  I am thankful I have Mom, even though she is slipping away.  I am thankful that even in the midst of this disease, she still teaches me significant lessons that I otherwise would never know.  Thank you Mom.  Thank you for giving me life today, February 10, 54 years ago.

What a lovely birthday gift.  The sun hasn’t even come up yet, God showed up, and none of this cost me a dime.