Last week Adam told me the weather would be nice for my birthday.
“My birthday is on the weather channel?” I asked.
Well, I guess if it’s there I can no longer ignore it. I’m turning 40.
The first thing I did was to call my mother and apologize. For the present I got her on her 40th birthday. It was a sweatshirt with the catchy slogan “over 40 and feeling foxy” on the back. I now understand why she never wore it in public.
Everyone came together to make me feel incredibly special today. I was continually surprised and humbled.
I was greeted with cards and presents in the morning. Adam let the kids pick out their own cards for me. All were hilarious, Jack picked out a Grave Digger Monster Truck card for me, but Ben’s pick was the best…
I was also presented with a brand new iPad. And there is MORE! I got the Vibram Five Finger shoes I’ve been wanting. I guess there is no excuse not to start exercising again now.
Our afternoon sitter Angelica came a few hours early to give me some time to myself. She even picked up cupcakes for me on her way over. Adam came home early from work and brought sushi for dinner.
But the biggest surprise of the evening came at dinner.
I was talking to Jack about his favorite book, “Happy Birthday to You” by Dr. Seuss. He makes us read it to him EVERY night and he has the thing memorized.
I jokingly asked him if the birthday bird was coming to visit me today. He said no, that’s silly. We don’t live in Katroo. But he was mistaken because not 10 minutes later…
The older boys were so excited that they ran back to their rooms to put on their own costumes. Smart little kids that they are, they realized it was not, in fact, big bird in our living room.
Big Bird was actually sent to me from 5 very special friends in my life. We have been tight ever since high school and even though we are spread across the states in Alaska, New York, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago and Florida, we continue to stay close. Thank you Heather, Holly, Gina, Jessica and Kate. Now I can’t wait until YOU ALL turn 40!
But wait! The party isn’t over yet! The celebration continues into the weekend. My girlfriend Pam told me to dress up, she’ll pick me up at 7pm on Friday night. No other information was forthcoming.
Sunday night Adam is taking me to Alinea, a restaurant so disturbingly expensive you’d have to turn 40 just to visit it.
As my evening came to a close tonight, I couldn’t help but reflect a bit. My thoughts drifted back a decade. To my 30th birthday. Sitting on the balcony of my newly rented Shanghai apartment. I had moved there the month before and didn’t know a soul in that city. I remember finding an inner peace that night. I realized I had been dating half my life and still hadn’t found prince charming. I made a pact with myself. If he never showed up, I could learn to live with that. After all, I was a fresh implant in a city I had always dreamed of inhabiting. I had a good job, the world of possibilities in front of me.
Shortly after I stopped being so desperate, as soon as I gave up the hope, prince charming arrived. In Jamaica of all places.
The next decade took me on a journey greater than my wildest dreams. Okay, they were more like nesting dreams. But they still exceeded anything I could have imagined. I won the trifecta. Most single girls in their 30s dream of a good husband, a couple of healthy kids, and no money worries. I exceeded the mark on all three.
Which makes turning 40 not such a bad thing.
Happy Birthday To Me!
