Just what I needed to wake up to this morning!

The first thing I do every morning, the thing that gets me out of bed and moving, the one thing (other than kids) that has turned me into a morning bird rather than the night owl I've always been, is check for email from James. This morning was no different than every other morning in that I hopped right out of bed and checked to see if he'd written to me while I slept. Hooray! There were two emails from him, one a birthday e-card, and the other what you will see below. I have no idea if this is his original work or if he "borrowed" it from somewhere else, and I really don't care. The words were beautiful and absolutely the reminder I needed that these fine lines on my face should matter not. The years don't matter. It is what we have done with those years that mean the most. Here is my treasured morning email...from my favorite soldier...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings,
As your birthday nears.
Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.
Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are.
Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"

I would like to include a couple more phrases that I love, special gems that should remind us that it isn't about the end result, it is all about the journey....

"It isn't the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away."

"When your hourglass runs out of sand you can't flip it over and start again."

"These small hours, these little wonders, these twists and turns of fate. Time fades away, but these small hours still remain."

And I'll leave this post today praying that God blesses me with a 33rd year filled with all the joys He wishes me to have, and all the happiness and love that I feel at this moment, and a 34th birthday next year with my best friend, my husband, at my side.