Happy Birthdays

Happy Birthdays

I got a birthday card from my Mom yesterday. It was more than six months late. Perfect timing.

I live mostly in Dubai, but I’m visiting Mom at her home in Canada for a couple of months, as I do most summers. Mom’s memory isn’t what it used to be (neither is mine for that matter!), and I discovered the card in a stack of unopened mail in “my” bedroom at her house.

The envelope was addressed thus:

Susan Macaulay
Happy Birthday to my special girl – Love Mom

She must have misplaced my address, or perhaps she just forgot to mail the card. Either way, it’s OK. Because I wasn’t meant to get the card on January 28th, the day of my birth. Yesterday, July 20 was precisely the right day to receive it.

In January, I was totally in tune with the universe. In June and July, we seemed to be out of sync. The belated birthday card reminded me what I need to do…

This card is unlike any other Mom has sent me. Her cards normally have a sweet image on the front and a short message on the inside.

This one is just words. Written by Hallmark, it’s true, but I know they come straight from my Mom’s heart. To me. At the right place. And exactly the right time.

Here’s what it says:

Reflections for a daughter on her birthday

Love yourself.
Make peace with who you are
And where you are
At this moment in time.

Listen to your heart.
If you can’t hear what it’s saying
in this noisy world,
make time for yourself.
Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.

Try.
Take chances.
Life can be messy
and confusing at times,
but it’s also full of surprises.
The next rock in your path
might be a stepping-stone.

Be happy.
When you don’t have what you want,
want what you have.
Make do.
That’s a well-kept secret of contentment.

There aren’t any shortcuts to tomorrow.
You have to make your own way.
To know where you’re going is only part of it.
You need to know where you’ve been, too.
And if you ever get lost, don’t worry.
The people who love you will find you.
Count on it.

Life isn’t days and years.
It’s what you do with time,
and with all the goodness and grace
that’s inside you.
Make a beautiful life…
The kind of life you deserve.

Love, Mom

My Mom is an amazing woman. She has made, and continues to make, a beautiful life. This year is a special one for her – she celebrates her 80th birthday.

Happy Birthday. To her. To me. And to you too. Let us all live beautifully.