Happy Birthday to Me!

I don't really sing the Birthday song to myself, but I certainly feel like SINGing! It's my 44th birthday today and it's been a very HAPPY day!

From the time I went to bed last night, I've been planning out my day. I thought through my workout options, knowing it was a cardio day and thought, "Do your favorite form of cardio" (which for a long time has been Cathe's step). I felt like rebounding a bit too, so I did her Cardio & Weights workout, which I know (and love) like the back of my hand and is mostly cardio, with 4 breaks for weights. During the weight segments, I got on the rebounder and did jacks and jumps.

After I had fun getting the kids ready for school, I drove home and thought, "What would be the perfect thing to eat for breakfast on my birthday?" I remembered that my friend Cherie gave me some pomegranates yesterday. So I ate a huge pomegranate (my very favorite food) and relished every bit of it.

As I went to do the next thing (check e-mail -- hear from good friends, read up on fitness and food, etc.), the thought hit me, "Should I take such care in choosing what I do and loving each moment like I have for my birthday?"

Perhaps I should. But what if it didn't meet my expectations? Would I live a life of frequent disappointments? Maybe so. I know that's a problem for some during the holidays -- they build it up to this big happy day and if it's a time of loss, sorrow, or sickness, it's an extra hard time for them. I don't want to have that happen on a regular basis.

So maybe just having these perfectly planned moments are better for special occasions -- or even for serendipitous moments, but it may be a bit much for every day.

The rest of my day followed in a similar fashion -- fun birthday wish phone calls , out for lunch to my favorite Italian restaurant (rigatoni w/vegetarian marinara -- a side of steamed veggies and another side of mushrooms -- all mixed together -- yum!) with good friends, opening festive packages that came in the mail from family and friends, unwrapping beautifully wrapped gifts from my children and husband, and eating more food with my family than I usually eat. My youngest daughter even filled a hot bath for me with my new candles (banana nut -- they smell so good).

It's all been wonderful. Tomorrow I'll catch up on the laundry. But those moments will be nice too. I like laundry. It may seem silly, but whenever I fold clothes, I feel like I've just brought the clothes home from the store and am discovering them for the first time. It may be my failing memory, but they seem new to me all over again :).

So 44 years down, hopefully at least 55 to go! Happy times!