We helped my husband celebrate his 43 birthday last Monday – his chosen place of celebration was the Cherry Cricket, home to the best burger in town (maybe even the nation). Their tap menu doesn’t stink either. It wasn’t a huge milestone type birthday, but a birthday nonetheless. I’ll let you in on a little family secret – my husband and I don’t exchange gifts for birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day or other “holidays”. Before you start feeling sad for me, don’t – we decided long ago when money was tighter, that we’d rather spend the money ear marked for a gift to go out to a fancy diner. Well, times have changed but, old habits die hard. We still don’t exchange gifts and we still go out to eat. The Cherry Cricket isn’t fancy – but it was his birthday after all.

We do exchange cards – and I either look for the cheesiest around or something that makes you go “hmmm”. Well, my birthday is just next week – so I guess when I chose a card with this phrase (see above) on it, I was thinking of myself. I haven’t stopped thinking about how old I would be if I didn’t know how old I was. I certainly, don’t want to relive and relearn everything. I really feel like I’m on a roll right now. My husband chose age 25 as his ideal age. I would choose youth if I could keep what I know now intact. I was certainly healthier and more youthful looking.

Meanwhile, I caught a little Deepak Chopra on PBS last night. The talk was titled, The Happiness Prescription and I was drawn in. I originally turned on the TV to watch a little mindlessness – to tune out. I didn’t want to think about anything, but of course, I started thinking about everything.

Statistically, Americans are some of the least happy people in the world – and that doesn’t exclude the wealthy. So what’s his answer to achieve happiness? Choose one: drugs, cognitive therapy or meditation. Some people are blissfully, ignorantly happy with their lives. A good many of us are, however, saddled with “existential suffering” – that feeling of “is this it?” I’m not ranting or anything here – just thinking out loud.

Things have been turning around for me in the past year – maybe I’ve unwittingly happened upon some of what Deepak talks about in his show. Problems have become opportunities, I’m reaching out to others, I’m really trying hard to be non-judgmental among other actions. Now, I’m not really tooting my own horn here – I’m feeling a sense of wonderment that I’m experiencing life on my own terms. It has all been a long, long process that is just starting to manifest after leaving my airline job and feeling a little lost 7 years ago.

So, on Monday, I will celebrate my 42nd birthday and to answer my original question, I would be the age that I am now. How about you?

Have a good weekend,
~Cynthia