TO EACH HIS OWN...

Everyone has their own way of celebrating their birthday. Some people like to have big parties, others like to go out and get wasted. I, on the other hand, have not really celebrated my birthday much over the years. I'm not sure why, but it lost it's meaning. It became just another day. This year was totally different. For the first time in a while I was home for my birthday. I got to spend time with my family and although we didn't do anything special, it was nice to be with them.

But that's not why I'm writing. Two things happened to make my birthday very special. The first actually happened the day before. My friend, Amy, came down to have lunch with me. She had told me previously that she and her family were thinking about going to Germany. I was excited for her since I know she has wanted to go to Europe for some time. She told me on Monday that she wants me to go and she will pay for my ticket! I am trying not to get too excited but it's hard. I really want to go.

The best part of my birthday happened that night. One of my best friends told me I needed to do something special because it is MY day. Since I don't like to go to bars and I didn't want a big party full of people I don't know, I didn't know what I should do. So I chose three people I thought I would enjoy spending time with. It was perfect. We didn't do anything special, just went to dinner and then spent the evening playing Mah Jong. I thoroughly enjoyed the night. It was one of the best birthdays I have ever had. I can never thank my three friends enough for what they did for me. I feel so fortunate to have them in my life. This birthday will always hold a special place in my heart.

Sometimes it's the simplest things in life that bring the most happiness.