Birthday

When I passed the age milestones of 30 and 35 and even 40, I was not only not sad... I was excited. You see, back in those days (and 25 pounds ago) I used to run lots of miles and lots of races. Passing those ages meant that I moved up an age group in most races, supposedly enhancing my chances of winning a cheap plastic trophy to go along with my "free" T-shirt. Some Saturdays it actually worked!
By the time I hit 44 (that's 44 magnum, right?!?) I was no longer racing much. Then came 50 (the 1/2 century mark), and last year I hit 55 (double nickels). As I got older, I think my favorite year was 54... that year was the only time I'll be twice as old as my daughter, Jennifer... just fun thinking about.

This year, 56, is kind of innocuous, but I did have a few things happen to make it memorable. First, Mom wrote me an email saying that the year I was born, June 19 was also on a Monday. Here is some of what she wrote.

I very well remember that Monday morning. I had been staying at Gertrude and Guy's for a couple of weeks, and on Sunday we had
attended a family get-together at Carter at my parents house. Afterwards, we went to Cordia and V. T.'s house on a farm close to Guy's farm. After we returned to Gertrude and Guy's, I started having problems; so they took me to the hospital, and you put in an appearance about six a.m. Monday, weighing eight pounds and fifteen ounces. We had had home made ice cream at Carter, and I had eaten a very large amount. I thought maybe had I eaten just one more bowl, you'd have made your appearance weighing a full nine pounds.

This evening I had a surprise phone call from Roland and Norma... singing me a very harmonious rendition of "Happy Birthday." Speaking of songs, our Birthday Gang from Sugar Grove in Houston called last night with the old favorite, "It's Your Birthday, It's Your Birthday, Yes It Is" (to the tune of "She'll Be Comin' Around the Mountain"). So, I've had two surprise and phone enhanced birthday serenades.

This afternoon my brother, Kent, called me, and we talked for about 30 minutes. Mostly we talked about the total devastation he saw last week while their youth group was on a mission trip to New Orleans to clean out houses that had been flooded. Of course, the purpose of his call was to razz me a little about my birthday, so we talked about that as well. I told him that if 50 is indeed the "new 30," then I was doing pretty well. He told me that he had been thinking that 56 wasn't so bad until he realized that in a short 4 years I'll be 60. I told him, "Thanks!"

Then later today I got to thinking... I know a bunch of folks who are 60+... and about many of them I just hope I continue to be a vibrant and alive as they are... true living examples of how to continue to use your gifts for God throughout your life. And, of course, the other thing is that year, 2010, I'll be twice as old as Jeremy for the only time in our lives... and that should be fun!!