It is snuggly kind of weather.

The bed is warm, the blinds are closed, the drama of both the previous day and the last night associated with patients and the surgery and the busy night ‘on call’ have all gone. We lie there, together, listening to the whispering words of the unusually warm breeze for this time of year flicker outside through the trees, a welcoming rustling in their thin branches. The sun is peeking its way up through the filtered blinds, initiating that first warmth of sunshine that greets the new day. It is a special day. It is my husband’s birthday! Well, actually it was the day before but that was a complete write off with work issues, so instead, as both of us actually had the day off together, we chose to celebrate it today!

So the usual questions asked…..

Question- Me…‘What would you like to do today’
Answer- Him….“What about a push bike ride to the new hospital?
Pause……
Question- Me….‘What else would you like to do today?’
Answer- Him….‘What about a walk from Clarkes beach up the stairs to the lighthouse’
A much greater pause…..
Question- Me….‘Now ….what would you really like to do today?’
Even bigger pause……a quite a few laughs later.

And the birthday boy got what he wanted to do ……. we did walk   to the lighthouse and back!!

Up the track, up the winding, track and steep winding stairs (mind you, I noticed that not everyone was going in the same direction we were…they were coming down the steps…what were we doing wrong??) …. along the winding steep track, back down the road, complete without water and hats and of course smack bang in the middle of the day!  It so reminded me of the first outing that we took a number of years ago before we were married, when we were starting to get to know each other. It was so similar to today, being a beautiful sunny date, two people enjoying friendship and nature all bundled into one….and how I so remember those words then of
“Do you wish to go for a little walk with me?”
Yes, 23 kms later, one small bottle of water between us we had gone for our little walk.

But, if truth be known, even though I really did not feel like a walk, (I was actually expecting to go to a movie or something else…) it was essentially not a ‘bad’ day.  In fact, it was quite the opposite. The weather was beautiful, the cheese platter and fresh juices at the café at the end of the walk most welcoming…and of course the company throughout the day (and the two friends we met at night for dinner) was highly stimulating and most enjoyable.
And yes, it definitely bespoke of a similar pattern just like eight years ago when we ended our little 23km walk with a cake and coffee…
Nope- I can honestly say –  nothing has changed!

And as much as it was hard physically, it was actually mentally a pleasure to do it!

You know, we always take time out to remember and /or attend our siblings, children, our nieces and nephews’ birthdays, most definitely our grandchildren, or our friend’s children’s birthdays.But as adults, unless it is a ‘significant age’ birthday, the adult birthdays basically go by unremarkable.

Yes, I know that work commitments prevent this from happening. Yet, in a world where there are countless reasons to feel insipid, inconsequential, and worthless, it is often tiny actions like first of all remembering and secondly, celebrating a birthday that counts.

Yes, we have our social media greetings; yes, we receive digitally or in the post those treasured cards from siblings and parents etc.But small things like that card from your workmates with those handwritten comments; or the cake at morning tea that you ‘did not know was coming’, that matter the most.

But, when possible, actually taking time out, time permitting, on or even after the actual date, to actually do something together, with your partner or a friend that you really would like to do; to actually ‘celebrate’ that insignificant birthday can be quite rare!

Whatever age birthday,  time together in our busy world should be considered as a distinctive happening. I believe that being grateful for each day, for the people in our lives should be special. Because if we do not take time out today to build memories, like those  little ‘walks’and laughter shared with my husband, we may have nothing to reminisce about tomorrow.
We need to count the blessings for what we had yesterday, and before we lose it, for what we have today.

Because on any birthday, we pay homage to the thing called Time.
We have today.
We might not have tomorrow!
So, why let go of that insignificant birthday that can be turned into something special.
No matter how small it is!

Happy Birthday!!!!