UPON MY BIRTH DAY

  No, I did not make a typo in the title. After all, is not a birthday celebration one that commemorates the birth day, the day when one is born, the day the world changed, noticeably or not, as one entered the world at large. Thus, here I am on my day of birth, contemplating not my navel, but the world I am living in, the world which batters at me and my former certainties. The world which has rewarded me in so many ways, even some once unthinkable, unimaginable. And yet, there they are.

It is a world I could never have imagined when I first became more aware of the passage of time. I can recall sitting in second grade as we learned about centuries and how they change. I figured out I would be the great age of 52 at such a time and I was in awe. Could that be? Would that be true? That old? Wow!!

Huh! There is old and there is old. I am at the second old at present. 52 is now the age of babies. Younguns' making their way through life. But not to think that I envy them. I have lived a mainly good, rich life, if not monetarily, then spiritually, involved in many things, open to thinking and rethinking and wonder of wonders! Me, the original failure at home arts -knitting, sewing, painting, etc., well, things do change. I now paint. Yup. Abstract. Landscapes. I work with wood, beautiful exotic woods whose existence I had never known about and salvaged wood, wood with character that  comes with age and usage. Kind of like me!!

Now my paintings hang on the walls of offices and homes - and not merely in family homes! My beautiful multicolored cutting boards are in use, though many claim they are too pretty to damage! Not to worry, they are well conditioned! My woodwork wall art, also abstract, with meaning inspiring it, creations for usage at desks, as perfume trays, as jewelry and whatnot boxes. Now, I am venturing into glass and mosaics in a serious manner. What the heck is the matter with me! My art teacher of high school years must be sitting up there scratching her head in bewilderment. Not to forget my friend who generously aided me in passing that course!

Home is wonderful. My kids have grown into mature, helpful and committed members of their communities, of excellent reputation. Their children are the gems in the crowns and the best to share little 'jokes' on the in between generation. Love it! At the right time, we hope to be blessed with great grandchildren and my cup runneth over. Add to that the colorful sprinkles of friends, old and new.

Most important of all is that our marriage, undertaken by two stupid kids without those proverbial two pennies to rub together, has lasted, through the joys and sorrows, the accomplishments and disappointments, and after 55 years we are stronger and better than ever. John Legend's song, wherein he sings of giving one's all to oneself and to the beloved partner, loving the "perfect imperfections" is perfect. Those foibles which annoyed so at the early years have grown into family jokes. We have weathered the storms, will face the new ones as they come along, hand in hand as we have done since our high school years.

As for the world out there, well, what is there to say; it is frightening. We never thought we had to worry hat America would cease to be America. Never. Unthinkable. And yet, here we are with   public hearings,  commencing tonite, regarding an averted, violent attempt to overthrow this government, to subvert democracy and install  autocracy. It is a difficult world in which to maneuver, as we add to that equation, pandemics that never go away, only add more to that murky  soup. We live, as one person put it, in an Age of Rage, frightening, a threat to life, literal and figurative, as mass shootings proliferate even as thick skulls refuse to legislate sane and safe gun controls.

We live in an era rife with advancement even as we fall back into old dangers and hatreds. We recycle anti everything, refuse to recognize the humanity of anyone not "like us" for whatever that means! Religion has been perverted again, claiming god is on their side and demands that all follow their words of that god. Well, my G-d says otherwise, but how to convince these benighted souls? A question of the ages.

Anyway, today is my birth day, my birthday, and surrounded in person and on line, via phones and various Apps, along with friends and family, well, it truly is a birth day to celebrate. At least for me.