Birthday Downpour

In ’99, I spent the night of my birthday in a downpour. Literally. I was dodging lightening in a storm, driving the camp golf cart from one cabin to another, tending to scared campers, making sure a cabin wasn’t burning down after being struck by lightning. It was wonderful! Seriously. An experience I will never forget.

Tonight, I spent a few hours of my birthday in another downpour. An under-the-sink downpour caused by a corroding garbage disposal. This downpour occurred toward the end of a wonderful birthday celebration that started yesterday.

Yesterday. When…
• Amelia showed up at the house wearing an orange dress and temporarily named me Aunt Orange. She knows that orange is my favorite color.
• Henry told me that I was going to love my birthday present because he made it for me. Sure enough, when I opened it, I found a beautiful plate that Henry painted specifically for me. He could have chosen to paint anything at Paint Your Own Pot, but he chose something for me…complete with an orange Christian fish in the middle. He knows that I collect orange fish and the collection started with Christian fish.
• Charlie and Jack wrote me very sweet notes.
• Amelia picked out and wrapped up an orange pen. It was her special gift to me.
• Dana and Finley gave me a new orange fish print.
• My mom made me a birthday cookie and a peach pie.
• Griffin asked to climb on me so I could throw him around. That’s become one of our special things.
• Amelia led the family in singing Happy Birthday as she sang into the microphone.
• Griffin taught Jack and Henry how to do magic tricks so they could perform a birthday magic show during birthday dessert.
• Jack, Henry, Griffin, Charlie, Amelia, Dana, and I competed in a Minute-to-Win-It competition. We each tried to put six ziti noodles on a piece of spaghetti—with our mouths only.
• Amelia yelled up the stairs, “Aunt Dee?! Do you want to see my underwear?” and then pulled up her nightgown to show me the orange underwear she had picked out for my birthday.

Then today…June Gail (my aunt), Mom, and I spent the morning shopping and getting great deals…then eating at Coffee and Crepes…then visiting Gretchen and the boys…then visiting Journey the Dog and finding that he’d left me a laundry bag as a birthday present…then coming home to eat the world’s best pork chops as prepared by my dad…then opening lovely gifts…then thanking everyone who wished me a happy birthday on Facebook…

I don’t think I need to say: It’s been a wonderful birthday.

And I am so extremely grateful for the downpour of love.