Me

Those of us who live in the Northeast and have winter birthdays know that this is a possibility . . . that a snowstorm can eliminate any plans for celebration.  So with only my cat here to keep me company (and she's not much on birthday celebrations), I am left with only Myself to commemorate this day.  I have a bottle of wine to share with Myself, a frozen pizza to pop in the oven (provided we don't lose power), and generally, a pretty good attitude toward turning the age about which the Beatles had a hit song back in 1967 when I was a child of 17.  And Myself is the same age as me!  As a Baby Boomer, I have a lot of company.

The best thing about having a snowstorm ruin your birthday plans is that everyone is snowed in and bored and spending way too much time on Facebook.  Consequently, I have had well over 100 birthday greetings and it's not even dinnertime yet.  My favorite greeting was from a former student (now an Emmy Award-winning Hollywood make-up artist) who told me that I am the answer to the security question on her online accounts, as in "Who is your favorite teacher?"  I presented her with another Emmy, this time for Most Original Birthday Greeting.  That, alone, totally made my day!

So I am raising my glass to Myself and congratulating Myself on surviving another year.  I did some cool things when I was 63, like buying a condo in southern Florida. I also took a road trip down the eastern coast of Australia, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and celebrating New Year's Eve watching the fireworks in Sydney.  Stepping out of my comfort zone.  In less than a month, I am off to Iceland, hoping to see the Northern Lights.  At this age, one takes the concept of "Bucket List" pretty seriously.  Forget the "cottage on the Isle of Wight" . . . although I have received invitations to visit friends in England.  Who knows where this year will take me?

For now, I will celebrate Myself, joyful in the life I have lived, even if it has sent me to my knees on more occasions than I can count.  Because I can always pick myself up again.  So far.

Happy Birthday to Me.