Happy Thoughts 10 ~ A Simple Birthday Wish

I had a big birthday last month. Turned 40. 4-0. Not too shabby! I loved approaching 40, much more than 30. That year, well the year leading up to 30, involved getting married, having my son Bodde, loosing my mother one month after he was born, buying a house...THEN turning 30. Oh holy crap! Two weeks before that birthday I was reading a magazine article about the life changing periods that add 10 years to a woman's face: 5. Having Children 4. Getting Married 3. Buying a House 2. Loosing a Parent 1. Loosing a Spouse. Great! I had 4 of the top 5 within a 10 month span. Add 40 years and I was a HOT 70!

So, 40 I was looking forward to. Older, wiser, free of young expectations and settling into my womanhood with grace and a little bit of sass. I woke to a wonderfully decorated home ... 40's EVERYWHERE! The boys were anxious for me to open presents but not before they gave me a pink and black boa along with a fancy birthday hat and boinging things that bobble on your head from a headband. Love was abound in the Stewart House and I reveled in the rambunctiousness of my children and adoring looks from my husband. Cool shirts, necklaces, earrings, lots of girly stuff and then they made me close my eyes because there was a big present for me. When I was instructed to open them, in front of me was the coolest bike anyone had ever given me! Beautiful crisp white Tony Hawk BMX bike with neon green trim on the wheels and body. It looked GREAT against the stark white, I LOVED IT! My husband asked me a million times if I really wanted a trick bike for my birthday and I kept telling him that I was bored just watching the boys at the skate park and I wanted to get in there and ride with them. My boys thought the bike was WICKED and that Mom was nothing like a regular 40 year old who, according to them, would eat lunch at school with George Washington. Nice!

I was off with the boys to the County Fair Parade to ride on the float for the Cub Scouts. I was excited and although I am a leader and I wear a Class A uniform to Scout functions, this time I Kelseyfied it a little in honor of 4 decades of life. Oh ya, I made sure I was a spectacle of Birthday Joy! All the boys there signed a gigantic card that was made just for me, so I felt very loved and appreciated as I floated down Main Street in my FABULOUS sash. Really, really fun! If I would have had a microphone, I would have jumped up and lead the float and crowd in a rousing rendition of "Twist And Shout", a la Ferris Bueller!

My hubby likes to surprise me from time to time and he was making arrangements for the boys to spend the night with relatives so he could take me to a nice dinner and a night on the town. As he cleaned the house.....I repeat, cleaned the WHOLE house....I rode the ramps in the driveway with the boys for the first time on my new super cool bike! I was not jumping around like a pro or anything, but I have to say that my oldest boy looked quite happy just riding around with his Mom. Just a great day spent with the family, so happy to be where I am in life, to have had the amazing journey that I had had. I was feeling pretty blessed and abundantly happy, content.

The boys left to relatives house and Bruce was getting ready for the night out. As I waited for him, I sat down at the computer to turn shut things down and turn it off for the night. I noticed that I had a new message in my box. My heart filled with excitement when I saw the name. I took a deep breath and clicked. I read and a smile came across my face. It was one of my twins sending a birthday message. I had only been in contact with him and his brother for a year in September, so here it was the first birthday that I had after they knew who I was, and he sends me a message. I was floored, I was ecstatic, I was shaking from shock and happiness. I am sure that he only took a minute to send it to me, but what it meant he could never know! I had not heard from them in a while and in that time I had sent them a signed book for their birthday. I did not know if they liked the book, or understood it, or what they thought. He addressed the issue in his message, and it was the most wonderful cherry atop an already FABULOUS birthday.

"I hope you had a marvelous day! I have read your book several times as you could guess and I cannot tell you how proud I am! I even brag about it to all of my friends. A friend of the kids I babysit is adopted and I recommended your book to her family and I am sure they will love it. Your special day is well deserved for someone with such a huge heart! Happy birthday!!"

How could August 7th, 2010 not be the best birthday yet? The love I received, the words of appreciation I so needed to hear, the amazing man and children I have been blessed with, it all came together on one day to help this mother feel complete and at peace. How very thankful I am!