Happy Birthday To Me

Birthdays.  They come every year.  Yesterday was mine.  I’m getting close to the “mid-point,” if you know what I mean, and as I gain years and wisdom I find myself thinking more and more about what really makes me happy.

Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

The question “what do you want for your birthday?” inevitably comes up when my special day approaches, and I never know what to say.  Sure there are things I want but do I really have to have them?  I also want some things that aren’t things, but I have pushed aside many of them as impossible or at the very least too exhausting to achieve. 

I generally answer the question by stating that as long as (1) my family is around me and (2) there is cake, I’ll be happy.  Presents are nice but in the end they are things that don’t last.  The non-things I desire are what will bring true happiness. 

Yesterday I had a steak dinner, birthday cake and ice cream, was surrounded by my family and friends, and received a few gifts that I both wanted and needed (okay, maybe I didn’t need a grocery bag filled with M&Ms)

It was a good day.