Birthdays

So, today’s my birthday. Unlike many people, I don’t see birthdays as a day off. It was the day I was born some years ago, and a celebration is certainly welcome.

But I also do not dread my birthday. We all get older, right? There’s nothing you can do about aging… so go with the flow. I feel a few signs of the aging joints from time to time, but I’m far from worrying about things like wrinkles and age spots. The biggest concern I have about aging is not being able to eat all the foods I enjoy so well. But if I want to hang around a little while longer, I’ll watch my diet.

This is nothing more than a little tidbit on how birthdays for me have been over the years. As a child, I remember a big party at one of my birthdays. That’s not to say there weren’t more, but I don’t remember them (one of those signs of aging). As I grew older, I found the parties less and less important, but that recognition was always welcome. I’d not had a big party of any kind, even at my 30th birthday – which was marked by coworkers with a chocolate cake and a few people coming and going.

But my 40th birthday was different in a big way. We were just building our new studio in Shepherdstown when Diana said we ought to stop by and see how things were going with the walls and stuff. It was an exploration type of visit if you will. Since we didn’t have a door where it is today yet, we had to go into the building through the front door. The owner had left a key for us and we helped ourselves. I was already anticipating seeing the progress when we walked in, only to be shocked by the cries of 15 or so people shouting “Surprise” and “Happy Birthday!” My darling wife had pulled one over on me. I was none the wiser. It was a nice little party with just the right number of people, food (always a plus), and presents (also a favorite). It was a very nice birthday.

Today I’m 47. And it was marked appropriately with a very special card from my wife, a small cake which I shared with my employees, and frequent hugs and kisses from Diana. I do have to work, though. I’ll be doing one of my favorite things – taking pictures of children. I’ll share some photos with you later.

Next year about this time I’ll be another year older, perhaps wiser, and I will have forgotten at least one more thing. But it will be another day, marked in time. And I’ll smile at the fun. Hopefully, I’ll get to photograph children.

Tony