Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 47th birthday, and I am still here!

“Shine on me sunshine
Walk with me world
It’s a skippidity do da day
I’m the happiest girl, in the whole U.S.A.”

Today I want to celebrate my life by celebrating my life:

Thank you, God, for knowing me before I took my first breath! Thank you, Jesus for my salvation. Thank you to the church I call home for helping me understand the gift.

Cheers to you Mom and Dad, for bringing me into this world! To both of you and my siblings – Amy and Ray for the life and love and all the things that went into the forge that created the foundation of who I am.

Thank you, David, my love, for helping me become the person I am and for loving me even when that person is selfish, or snippy, or overall less than lovable.

“Skippidity do da
Thank you oh Lord for making him for me
And thank you for letting life turn out the way
That I always thought it could be”

Thank you, Breanna, for being the best first child in the world. For being like me and so completely different than me that it challenges my thinking and makes me look deeper into that which is life beyond mine.

Thank you, Paige, for being the best second child in the world. For being like me and yet being braver and still mellow and laid back. For worshipping with me and understanding the tears in the worship.

Thank you to both my daughters for making me laugh until I cry, for making me cry because we all need to. For the triangle of tears that formed some cornerstones of our relationships now that you are both adults.

Thank you, Nathalie, for being you. For being excited about life and helping these older eyes become open to discovering things as if they were new.

Thank you to my extended family, for the love and life and joy and sadness and history.

Thank you Lovitt family for accepting me as one of your own. Primarily Jack and Lois for being so solid and consistent and open. Thank you to the three sisters Lovitt that have shown me what it SHOULD be like.

Thank you to my sister friends, Lori, Paula, JennieBean, Christa, Julie, Jen B, Shelley, Rachele, Jeanna. I wanna cry thinking about how much I love you all and how grateful I am that you are my people.

Thank you to the fellow humans that authored the journey that brought my beloved pets into my life. (Thank you to all the animal people out there that understand this.)

I am certain there are people not mentioned specifically here that I am grateful for…there are so many of YOU! I don’t have time to write that novel, but know that if you are in my life in any way and have stumbled into this post, know that I am grateful for your presence. Every encounter, every conversation, every moment of shared joy or pain…every…single…one – adds/added/will add a layer of substance to the person I am. And…

I like me.

So, thank you!

Now go out there and light a sparkler and think about everything you have to celebrate!

“Now shine on me sunshine
Walk with me world
It’s a skippidity do da day
I’m the happiest girl, in the whole U.S.A.”

________________________________________________________________________

Consider this to “post-credit extras” to my life:

The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA

That song always makes me think of my childhood… always loved it…always felt joyful when I heard it.

Just for kicks, I will also include the song that stuck with me in childhood…