A Birthday toast

Why is it that birthdays evoke a more emotional response than other holidays?  Christmas is certainly cheery and heartwarming.  Halloween brings out the macabre and fantasy in us.  Easter signals spring and Thanksgiving allows us to appreciate all that we have. Well, the obvious answer is that it is more personal.  But thousands, millions of people were born on the same day throughout history.  My brother, Jay, for instance, was born on Washington's birthday, February 22.

Really, no one is around when a baby is born.  The doctor, a nurse, the father and obviously the mother.  It is a solitary event.  I remember each birth of my children as if it just happened.  But that is just between them and me. I treasure those memories, those very personal memories.

So why is it that we remember and celebrate people's birthdays? Why not the day they died?  I think it's because we like to think of it as the start of something wonderful, the beginning of a life that brings meaning and joy to those around them. Even if that person has passed on, the legacy they left behind is worth celebrating, worth remembering, worth toasting.

So today, I went to the Grand Forest to have a beer with my husband, Jerry, to celebrate his birthday.

 

It is beautiful here, so quiet and peaceful.

We had a nice chat and enjoyed our beers.  Happy Birthday, Jerry.