I remember as a kid not particularly enjoying the fact that my birthday was so close to Christmas.  My mom’s birthday was Christmas Eve so I’m sure it’s something she could relate to.  Still, we were pretty poor.  Money was very tight.  And the cakes in the stores that were the best deals were decorated for Christmas.  Therefore, my birthday cakes said “Happy Birthday” but they oozed Christmas poinsettias, ivy, and lots of red and green.   (Why is red the worst tasting icing of all?)

But memories change.  Things that meant nothing or were possibly annoying in our past can become cherished memories.  My mom is in spirit now.  Christmas Eve has been very special to me my entire adult life, but now that mom is passed it’s even more hallowed.  Years ago I started asking for my birthday cakes to have poinsettias instead of roses.  Ivy instead of traditional piping.

I should say “asking” for a holiday birthday cake only when I haven’t been busy avoiding the concept of birthdays (for myself) altogether.

My husband, Lee, is in retail.   I understand that.  I met him at Christmastime and so I have been clear on what that means from the beginning.  Over the years, it has only gotten more intense.  This also allowed me to ignore my birthday since Lee isn’t around to push the issue.  However in recent years, I have started to noticed that doing so made me blue (rather than red and green) and so starting this year I took it upon myself not to ignore it.  That doesn’t change the reality of Lee’s life.  There simply isn’t time for him to arrange for a birthday cake – let alone go and get it.

So I had to get my own.

 I was about to type “Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the reality of Lee’s life” when I realized it’s not unfortunate at all.  It may seem weird, uncomfortable, or lonely to go get your own birthday cake (I admit it felt weird picking it up at the bakery) but it’s actually a form of self loving.  My friend, Hay House author Susan Dintino, has been preaching this to me for years.  Apparently I’m just a slow-learner since I’m only now understanding what she’s been saying.

This is a very special birthday for me.  Not because it’s any particular number (it’s not.)  But because my birthday is 12/12 – the date of the last full moon of the year and the decade.  It also happens to happen at 12:12am EST.  The messages from my angels lately have been… well… let’s just say “intense.”  At first I found them alarming, but I’m past that.

Now I find them empowering.

Lee’s company has a big sales event tonight and he can’t join me for my birthday.  But that’s okay.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is to wrap Christmas gifts while watching “The Sound of Music.”  I sing myself silly and wrap and tie bows until it looks like a glitter factory exploded.  I’ve moved that tradition from its usual date to tonight – the evening of my birthday.

I am spending my birthday acknowledging myself – something I do far too little of.  I am spending my birthday loving me and trying not to ignore the date because I don’t like the number of metaphorical candles on the cake (there will only be one.)

And… I’m spending my birthday with Julie Andrews.

I can’t think of better company.

 

Happy birthday to me!

~R

The Stuff That’s Hidden

I recently got back from a visit to the city I was born and raised in. My sister and her family still reside in Knoxville, Tennessee and I hadn’t been back there in years. But one of my nieces and my nephew have been “fruitful and multiplied” so I had three babies to...

The Unsuspecting Expert

I’ve been doing a lot of “nest feathering” in my little French cottage here in Colorado.  That’s been a whole other kind of fascinating for me as I have been drawn to colors and textures and artsy things that frankly astonish me.   My inner “introspection addict” is...

Life is Sooo Good

I talk to myself. I do it all the time. I’ve been working from home since 2001, so I had chalked it up to spending a lot of time in quiet spaces. But, I’m also starting to wonder if it’s more than that. That maybe… just maybe… sometimes me talking to myself is...

I Have Something to Confess …

So… I have something to confess.  Something really weird that has been going on in my life since I moved back home to Denver. I’ve been keeping this on the downlow but I guess it’s time for me to “come out of the closet” one more time. I don’t even know how it...

Why Can’t Every Day Be April 7th?

Y’all know I am pretty good at full disclosure. However, I am gawd-awful at taking time off. Seriously, it’s problematic. Everyone says so. To give you a hint, I have been published 14 times over 12 years. My peers think I’m nuts. My publisher adores me. The first few...

you might also like…

Angel Answers Oracle

CARD DECK & GUIDEBOOK

Click Here

Archangel Power Tarot

CARD DECK & GUIDEBOOK

Click Here

Fairy Tarot

CARD DECK & GUIDEBOOK

Click Here

Guardian Angel Tarot

CARD DECK & GUIDEBOOK

Click Here

Angel Tarot

CARD DECK & GUIDEBOOK

Click Here