22nd June 2008

Happiness is Priceless on Your 40th Birthday - Surrounded by Friends Makes It Possible

I was surrounded by friends with their children on the night of my 40th birthday.  Nicole and Andy came in with their 3-year old Jax to have dinner with us in Nag’s Head.  Jax is absolutely adorable.  It was the first time Nicole had seen me pregnant - it was so funny she’s talking, we hug, and she totally doesn’t say anything about my pregnant tummy.  I pointed  at my tummy and said, lookie - look at pregnant mama - she laughed and said that she had totally forgotten I was pregnant.  We laughed.  I figured that was a  good sign.  We went inside and had crab legs, despite pregnancy status - you have to have something good like that for your 40th birthday dinner - Alaskan King Crab Legs.  We ate at Dirty Dick’s in Kill Devil Hills. 

April, Garry and their daughter Sophie, who is absolutely precious, drove all the way from Columbus, Ohio for a long weekend to join the festivities.  We talked, shared crab dip, and enjoyed seeing the interaction between Sophie and Jax.  We returned to our beach house in Waves, NC, and stayed up late talking.  Crazy Garry went for a swim in the pitch black night ocean after we all went to bed.  There was no convincing him otherwise. 

My friend Alicia and I talked for an hour, while I was on the beach, by phone.  We caught up on details of life, family and friends.  It was one of those great conversations by phone.

 My  lead employee sent me an e-card.  Another colleague called in to see how I was doing.

It was a wonderful day.  My brothers and/or their wives checked in - I talked to two of my nephews.  And I received beautiful lilies and roses from some friends of mine from the search marketing industry who could not join us for the weekend. 

Last night was the first time in probably several months that I was able to sleep soundly, with brief awakenings only twice, for the entire night.  I felt at peace, and surrounded by close friends and quite content.

As I looked at the interactions of Jax and Sophie, and the parenting skills of both sets of parents, I thought that will be me this time next year - with a little one - to join the “community” of family and parents - it felt good, very good.

To top things off yesterday, there was no smoke - no rain in my area - just grey skies - which were fine with me as it cooled things off.  It was all in all a great 40th birthday.

Thanks God.

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