I’m reflecting on the birthdays of my children, since my oldest will be 50 next week. My, how time flies. It gives me pause, as I contemplate our vulnerability. It has actually been almost 52 years since my first daughter died at the age of 5 months. Except for the memories it doesn’t seem that long. It almost seems like yesterday. I now have three daughters in their 40’s, (it doesn’t seem possible!), and eight grandchildren (again, hard to believe). We just celebrated several birthdays over the course of a few months. Two granddaughters in August, two daughters in September, two grands in November and finally two daughters an another grand in December. Seems like the majority of us were born in the fall.

Maybe celebrate is to of a strong a word, we recognize these occasions in order to mark our journey from the cradle to the grave. It also gives us the opportunity to express our love and appreciation for our families and loved ones. We let them know how very thankful we are for them and how much they enrich our lives.