I just decided I'm not having one.
It's enough to know I was born April 4, 1923, so Monday, April 4, 2016 will be the usual. Another expected and unexpected day in my life. Waking at 6 a.m. and 45 minutes of yoga stretches and poses. My usual breakfast: oatmeal, honey, cinnamon, walnuts (for the brain) protein powder (for the joints) and espresso (for the boost).
Now I'm ready for yoga class with yoga master Anthony Benenati. Now I'm ready for a short nap. Then 12 minutes on the bike and now I'm ready for the love of my life, TANGO, with the one and only Marcos Questas, friend, teacher and unbeatable tango dancer.
Now I'm completely energized -- body and brain -- and I'm not sure who I am much less what day it is. So much for this birthday. There is no complaint coming. I have lived 93 years with no stop sign in sight. Nothing wrong with that scenario.
If I'm going to celebrate, it's going to be a celebration of waking each day with the same energy and love for living. Now, that's worth celebrating, but I'm not going to bore you with the history of my life, which has been totally wonderful and unexpected and with a little luck will continue. It doesn't have to be today, it's every day.
Birthdays are great at 20 and iffy at 50 and at 70 well, that's up to you and your body and what to do with the rest of your life. Got to invent, got to think positive, and if you haven't already listened to your body, now's the time to listen and respond. Now's the time to move.
Yoga, tennis, dance, walk and run, if you still can. Try something new; piano, guitar, learn a foreign language. You just might surprise yourself and discover a new career. I've had four and could be a fifth just waiting. Just keep saying, "Yes, yes, yes, I love this life." And I like me too, which means I like you too, so if the number means just a number, "go for it." For me, it will always be just a number, which might just continue to be another and another and another.
So, as time marches on and so do birthdays, there are changes in our attitude between one another and how we handle these changes. Personally, I find recently when an argument develops instead of getting all fired up, I tend to step back and soften. This is new for me and I like it.
It's enjoying the cool feeling of being cool, which comes from watching and being on the outside rather than being in the middle of a conversation gone sour. It's being completely present -- a wonderful place to be and very difficult to achieve.
So closing with that powerful word PRESENT, I want to wish and say to all of you, whatever number you chose and whatever day you celebrate happy birthday, face every challenge with joy, energy, love, the possibility and the knowledge that life and birthdays will continue and last. But not least, let's all celebrate a world at peace.