82ND     BIRTHDAY    GUY

Okay!  Great!  So now what?

So here I am, sitting at the dining table, camera looking past me to the street beyond. I passed through the doorway into the  "82 year-old room" two days ago.  

What next?  Who knows?

"Why not run for President four years from now?"   Good idea maybe but nope, not for me.  Although I did run for a state legislative office in Washington State once a few years ago, I lost by a narrow margin to the incumbent. I was the lucky guy. He wasn't, because unfortunately he died in office shortly after the win. Obviously at 82 I'm just too old for politics.

Thus, for me, this 82nd year is a time to lie back and rejoice.  You can see a first attempt at that in the photo below. I'm rejoicing, because so many wonderful friends and relatives wrote, texted or telephoned with messages of love and support. Because my wife prepared such wonderful celebrative meals, and still let me take her out to a Dairy Queen store to buy a "bag-supper" (using a much appreciated birthday gift card)! I'm glad for the M.D. who told me, two days after the birthday, that my minor difficulties in remembering stuff are simply age-related.  What a gift is that! 

 

Interesting to me as a Christian minister that the Bible has so very little to say about birthdays and how they are to be regarded and celebrated. But Christian churches themselves say and do a lot, like lining us birthday celebrants up, singing "Happy Birthday" to us, thanking God for us, praying for them.  And all that's just okay. 

But, beyond all that, a birthday in old age is a time for a thankful heart. Thankfulness for living in an age like this, where reaching 100 years has become the new normal. Thankfulness for medical care.  Thankfulness for friends and family who. . .

support you, 

remember you, 

help you in many ways.  

(Writing this just now, I'm thankful for my daughter, who tipped me on how to move that photo from my phone to my blog!)  

Thanks to all. Thanks be to God.