A birthday reflection . . .

Today I've been celebrating the occasion of my birth 63 years ago.

Some people say they don't enjoy celebrating their birthdays once they've started getting older, but oh boy  -  I do.  

As I mentioned on Facebook earlier today, if you can't celebrate life on your very own birthday, what on earth is the point of it all?

And I do think life is to be celebrated.  Fully and completely.

Don't get me wrong - I know, also fully and completely, that it's not always great.  There are some hard times to get through, and we just do the best we can.

And it can sometimes feel like an Alice in Wonderland kind of world we're living in.

source:  cheyennetaylor94.blogspot.com

source: cheyennetaylor94.blogspot.com

 

(have some cake!)

But you know, just embrace it the best you can when you can.

In the midst of enjoying birthday wishes today, and a fun birthday lunch with Donald, a totally random memory popped into my mind.  

I have no idea why, or where it came from, but here it is.

In a former life, BD (Before Donald) there were two former husbands.  Both were short-lived marriages - a story for another time.  

But anyhooooooo -

source: thepartyanimal.hubpages.com

(have some more cake.  My friend Judy B. tells me today is National Cake Day!)

anyhooo - where were we?

oh, yeah -

Former husband guy used to love to tell people I was a diamond in the rough & he felt like it was his job to smooth out my rough edges.  It was said all in jest, of course.  uh huh.  sorta.  maybe.

I never really paid any attention and didn't give it much thought at the time, but it was one of those things that really pissed me off later.  After the marriage had ended and all those little "things" started coming back to me.  

If there's one thing I would like to say to him today, it's that I love my rough edges.  Truth be told, I've always enjoyed my rough edges.  They're part of what makes me me.  I'll never be a sophisticate, but I can hold my own.  I can also hold my own in some of the most red-neck bars in South Atlanta, and would probably still bump into people I know quite well if we were to pop into one tonight.

My point with all this is that the people who are in my life right now - those of you who have stopped by here - along with my Facebook friends, and other on-line friends, in addition to the friends I see pretty often (including that adorable guy I've been married to for over 25 years) - all know me for exactly who I am and accept me as I am.  And if I'm a diamond in the rough, or a plain ol lump of coal, it's okay.  And I gotta say - it's lovely to be accepted as who I am.  It's even lovelier though to like myself just fine as I am, and I do.    And I enjoy celebrating "me" as often as I can.  Especially on my birthday.