(The drawing for the dishcloths will close at 9 p.m. EST - The winner will be announced at 12 am EST on Jan. 6 2009)
(Me, age three)
(Me, age three)
Some people dread birthdays. One of my earliest memories is of me asking my grandmother how she wanted to celebrate an upcoming birthday. Her replied confused me.
"Oh, I wish my birthday would never come. I don't want anymore birthdays. There's nothing to celebrate when you get this old."
This memory is close to thirty-years-old, which means that my grandmother was only in her 50's when she concluded that birthdays should be dreaded instead of celebrated. She's not alone. Card manufacturers make a pretty penny selling birthday cards that serve more to commiserate than commemorate.
My philosophy on aging and birthdays differ from my grandmother's. Although I could do without the wrinkles, belly flab, and lower back pain, I don't mind getting older. I view my birthday not as the observance of the passing or surviving of another year, but as a celebration of being born. My birthday is the anniversary of my first gasp of air...my first cry...my first hug...my first kiss.
The annual arrival of January 10 is a time for me to remember that God chose that day for my birth. It is a day worth celebrating...not me...but life. And, it is a day to reflect on the gift of life...a day to give thanks.
Because of the blog world, I get to celebrate my birthday with a few hundred people...with friends I've known for decades and with friends I've never met. For an extrovert like me...that's birthday wish come true. And to add to the fun...I'm giving away presents.
The first prize is a set of crocheted dish cloths from Jenn at A Country Girl's Ramblings. I'm always in awe of women like Jenn who have the patience and talent to turn a string of yarn into something both beautiful and useful.
Aren't these dishcloths so cute? They almost look too pretty to use, but their texture is great for scrubbing. Would you like to win a pair? Just leave a comment on this post, and you'll be registered to win. Leave another comment on Jenn's blog for an additional chance to win. Be sure to check out her Etsy shop while your there.
Winners will be announced tomorrow along with a chance to win a new prize.
Thank you so much for celebrating my birth week with me!
65 comments:
I love your birthday outlook! I also don't mind them. I still look forward to them like a little girl waiting to wear her party dress :)
That is my MIL birthday too. I am thankful for my birthdays too. It is a day I thank my mother for having me. Great post and cute picture! Happy Birthday almost.
I'm turning 39 this year... I may not like next years b-day so much.
That picture of you is TOO cute!!! Happy Birthday week!
Great post with a great outlook!
Happy Birthday almost!
I enjoy my birthdays as well. It's that one day where it's all about me. I hope you have a great birthday week!
I love your post, and you were so sweet on the picture.
Happy birthday:)
Wibeche
Happy Birthday to lil ol you!
I love your whole refreshing and quite truthful outlook and perspective you have about gracing another year older.
I always feel emotional on my kids Birthdays for I remeber it as their "birth" day.
Happy Birthday to you,Enjoy YOUR day!
Those dish clothes are cute. My Mom used to make them too.
I love celebrating my birthday. What a gift to have been given another year! Happy Birthday (early).
Love,
b
I wish I had pictures of when I was younger. My parents never took many pictures for some reason. There are a few floating around, though. :-)
happy birthday! hope you have a wonderful day!
Very sweet picture of you!:)
I turn the BIG 4-0 this year. {GULP}
But it is a blessing to be able to do so, amen?:)
Happy Birthday Week!
God Bless,
Amy:)
What a great way to look at our birthdays. I will view mine a little different come November.
Lovely!! You are so kind to share with us on your special day!
I love my birthday also!!
Happy Birthday Week!
Enjoy every moment of the celebration!
You know what I love about our birthdays? It's like an extension on the holidays - our holiday season isn't over until AFTER our birthdays. I'm turning 34 Wednesday. I don't think there'll be any actual celebrating, but I love thinking of it as my own, personal, special day.
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday!!!
I love those dishclothes!!!Thanks so much.
Today's my mom's birthday, so early January must be a good time to make one's arrival!
Adorable picture.
That's the way to look at it :) I never quite got the hating your birthday thing either.
That picture is adorable!
Angela, I sent you an e-mail concerning my blog. Just wanted to explain something. Thanks for doing this! Oh, and you don't need to count this as an entry for myself! :)
Happy Birthday!!! What a wise way to look at birthdays! I bet it grieves God when we play down our birthday and look at it with dread. He did choose that day just for you to be born and because he "foreordained you" he had a purpose in creating you!
God bless you on your birthday and every day of the year!
What a cute picture! :) I had my post for today all written last night already, I was just waiting for you to post your first official birthday bash post...and now I find that you've written something along the same vein. Oh well, celebrate is the theme for the week!
Okay - so first off I have to say that picture is incredibly cute!! :)
I also want to add that I think it is so sweet that you are helping others out in the process of celebrating your birthday. :)
Life is precious and birthday's are a perfect way to celebrate it! I'm with you on the birthday philosophy.
Take care friend,
Julie
Adorable picture, Angela.
Sure, I'd love a chance to win those great dishcloths. Look like they could be great face cloths, too.
What a cute pic. Happy Birthday! That washcloth would go perfectly on the side of my sink. :)
Great idea! And the picture is too cute. :)
Sign me up!
I must agree with many others who tag this as a good idea. Thank you for helping me at my young age to have a different outlook on my birthday. For me, I had begun to ask what was I celebrating because I didn't do anything, it was all my mom. Therefore, I requested that my husband not get me gifts and I began giving my mother gifts as a thank you and recognition for the pain she had. I will now celebrate my birthday both ways. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for including us in the celebration! I have some dishclothes like these, and I LOVE THEM! I hope I win!
After having my Grandma in my life for 37 years I embrace growing older with grace. She lived to be 86 and never once did she complain or not want to celebrate her age.
I'll be 38 this year and I'm TOTALLY excited about it! My 13 year old helps my inner child play often, so I welcome each new birthday gratefully.
Happy early birthday! And a good, optimistic outlook -- and so true! Every day is a blessing.
Happy Birthday!!! May God Bless you with many, many more birthdays.
Happy birthday week to someone definitely worth celebrating! ;)
I love the cute picture of you! :)
And you are super sweet to host a giveaway this week!
That is such a great outlook on life and birthdays!!
Happy Birthday!!
I love that you're doing a giveaway for YOUR birthday...very generous. And, I'm a big fan of Jenn. She is very sweet and very creative! Thanks for the giveaway. Have a Happy Birthday!
Your dishcloth is beautiful! I'd love to win a pair! I'm off to check out your etsy shop. I didn't know you had one!! I love Etsy!
Oh I see, I read things wrong. Your friend Jenn has an etsy shop! Very cool!
Happy Birthday!
Great creativity on the "commiserate"- I loved that!
I liked your little girl picture.
I used to have a set of these dish clothes & they are THE BEST! I want to win!
pick me, pick me!
Jaime
i love birthdays!! they are a special day for each of us...and i love you do the whole week.
Great post. I'd love a chance to win these pretties as well. Thanks.
Love your blog! Those wash cloths look like they would be easy to crochet as well.
Please enter me in your contest.
sa061545@bellsouth.net
Amy's Mom from In My Life
Sandra
Thanks for the opportunity - happy birthday week!
Happy Birthday. I totally love your outlook!
Happy first day of your birthday celebration. I never minded getting a year older until last year when I turned 30. I find myself lamenting my age instead of giving thanks for another year of this beautiful life. Wrinkles mean we've lived and that is more than many can say. Good for you for keeping a positive attitude. You're pretty good at that after all:)
Adorable photo!
I HATE Birthdays! Kidding, I don't. Love your positive perspective. Now pick me, pick me!
You're adorable. Then & now :)
Have a wonderful birthday week! The dishcloths are very pretty. Thank you!
I left a comment on the Goldfinch that flew into her window.
Happy Birthday. I sure hope that Your Birthday is a great one.
I just love your thoughts about your birthday week. I have always celbrated mine for a week as well but to give gifts is so me. I think I am going to have to blog steal this idea for my summer birthday.
Have a Great Week
Hugs
Happy Birthday! That picture is really cute..
I just turned 20 last December 29. I don't like parties for my birthdays but I never forget to thank God for everything that He has given me.
MOre blessings to you!
What a great outlook! I figure the old adage is true, "getting older is better than the alternative".
So Happy Birthday a few days early!
You are so cute.....Happy Birthday to YOU!
Way to celebrate!
Love 'em! And Happy Birthday!
I just have to say that picture of you is just the cutest. I can totally see you in it. Happy Birthday week!
I know I'm too late to get in for this giveaway, but I was wondering if you still had all the html "stuff" for your birthday button? I'd like to put it on my blog! :-)
How fun and happy happy birthday to you!!!
-sandy toes
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK to you:)
The 10th is my sweet husbands birthday(34) as well as my best friends triplets(2)!!! I guess the 10th is ONE SPECIAL DAY!
Jennifer
Happy birthday a few days early!
I just had to say I love your outlook on getting older! I'm late for the drawing but I'll check back ealier tomorrow!
Happy birthday, my birthday is feb 10. I will be 38. Yeah.
I used to dread birthdays...now I look at each new year as a gift from the Lord.
Happy Birthday to you, sweet one!
I will never dread another birthday again after reading your wonderful post! What a refreshing outlook:-)
Post a Comment