Birthday Mornings

I am awake before the rest of the world, having cheated last night and conked out around 10:30. Normally I would say one shouldn't spend her birthday alone, but I have the biggest smile on my face. I woke up, dug around for my phone, that was going off all night with the ball dropping, friends texting or calling (I vaguely recall talking to my friend Samantha who was also born on New Years) and found it full of happy wishes, and voicemails that just made me feel warm inside. Even my older sister who despises that I insist on a British voicemail called, "Hi, just to show you how much I love you, I'm leaving you a message on this ridiculous voicemail. Happy New Year and Happy Birthday. Oh, and your House Boy says the same." I hear hollering from her father-in-law in the back ground. A friend from work, who has a great sense of humor, but I am only just getting to know, "Happy birthday; try to not get too caffeinated tomorrow on your Dunkins." And so on.

So as I roll out of bed, down the hall to the kitchen, I smile as I pull a cup out of Maggie's gift to me, to make a small cup of coffee for the morning present openings. And while a friend of mine is no longer around, it still makes me smile of old times with that pal, where she would have her small cup of coffee in the morning just as I was doing. Plodding down the hall with my gifts and cards--that I was so good not to open ahead of time... I plunk down on my bed and started opening cards, and gifts and it just made me feel like I had all those friends with me. What a nice way to wake up in the morning with your friends thoughtfulness and caring. Each gift and each card made me smile and I certainly do not feel alone on this new year day.