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October 2nd is my birthday. Let’s just say I’m 21, again. I share my birthday with a number of luminaries, among them Sting (one of my favorite performers) and Mahatma Gandhi (an inspiration).
Did you know that October 2nd is designated as the International Day of Non-Violence in honor of Gandhi’s life? As someone who really wants world peace as corny as that sounds I’m proud my birthday is International Day of Non-Violence.
I’m telling you it’s my birthday, not because I want to hog the limelight and bask in good wishes – well, maybe a little – but because I want to share with you how I feel from my heart and how far I’ve come emotionally this year.
Truthfully, it’s been a tough year for me with moving to a new city. I’ve written about my anxieties in my blogs.
Getting back to some sense of equilibrium has required me to take my day-to-day life one step at a time and take an honest look at myself. Do you know what I’ve forgotten lost as I’ve been in my pain? The answer is GRATITUDE. It’s so common to say “Thank You,” I don’t even hear the words.
Starting with my birthday, I’m not going to wallow in self-pity. Instead, I’m going to speak and hear the “Thank You” for each of my blessings. There are many blessings, from my relatively healthy parents to my considerate husband who has planned a special spa day for me. From old friends who have emailed, left voicemails and sent gifts to new friends who bought me delicious cupcakes and fed me a special lunch today.
I delight in the ability to dance, sing and see the world through a child’s perspective.
My children are not my burden of responsibility, they are my miracles.
Life isn’t about fairness or expectations, but an unpredictable and challenging journey we go on to know we are alive.
I thank those of you who have always believed and had faith in me. And I celebrate those who have come into my life to teach me wisdom I’ve yet to know.
This isn’t my mid-life crisis, but a period when I’m going to experience more transformations and be happier in my skin.
Thank you, one and all. Now, excuse me as I dig into the birthday cake my children and husband have bought for me. Yummy!
SUSAN S. CHEUNG
Susan is a freelance writer originally from London, England. She moved to Nashville, Tenn. in July 2008 when her husband accepted a position at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The family relocated after eight years in Guilderland, New York. And now they have a new home in Franklin, Tenn.
