3/4 of a Century!

THAT was the shocking thought I had this morning when I woke up to my 75th birthday. At least I woke up!

I am fortunate in many ways at this point in my life. I’m reasonably healthy. I have a good marriage, a warm place to live, a loving dog and amusing cat, and enough of the essentials of life like decent food.

I am also fortunate to have some amazing friends. My Facebook page has been flooded with literally hundreds of lovely birthday greetings and I’ve received some wonderful cards – some are totally funny and some quite sentimental – and numerous emails from friends scattered around the globe; each message contained heartfelt best wishes for me. How could I not be grateful for all of that?

I also have a family of “surrogate grandchildren”. The Smyth family lives near me and on major occasiions (like Christmas and my birthday) they go out of their way to visit and bring good wishes, hugs and sometimes lovely gifts – like these tulips, specially designed card, a folder of unique stationary, and best of all – a visit. It is greatly appreciated.

In addition to the visits, I had lunch with a couple of friends today and added to my tulip collection. Tonight, Joel and I are going out for dinner and then home to celebrate with cake – and possibly a few family members dropping in as well.

All in all, it’s a good, sunny day to have a birthday and distract oneself from the wretched goings-on around the world of politics, tarriffs and counter-tarriffs etc. I was born just before the Korean War so obviously I don’t remember much about it. But in my teens I lived through the Vietnam War, watched young men (and women) drafted, dying and returning to their country (USA) to be disrespected for having done what they were ordered to do. I participated in protests and fought, tooth and nail, for women’s rights in the 1970s and 80s.

Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think I would live long enough to see the world returning to the Nazi era 1930s beginning in our own back yard.

I follow several political commentators on social media (primarily #Substack) including #CharlieAngus (Canadian), #DanRather (respected retired journalist from the USA), #HeatherCoxRichardson (respected university professor from Maine), #TheMeidasTouch (an Independent news network broadcasting through You Tube) and the major Canadian media – CBC, CTV and Global News. My goal is to be informed and aware, and to have balance in the information I get. As things are heating up south of the border and around the world, it’s easy to be consumed by so much negativity but I look around at the good things there are, including friends on both sides of the border, kind and generous people, and still have hope that the messes created by the Melon Felon and his cohorts can be stopped and fixed. That would, indeed, be a wonderful birthday gift!