Gifts

Growing up, birthdays were a big deal. My mom baked a cake in whatever shape we wanted and in our favorite flavor (cake and frosting). We got gifts from our parents and exchanged presents among the siblings.

Sunflowers from Pam.

One year, my brother, John, gave me an assortment of teen magazines, including Tiger Beat and 16. I was in heaven reading about the Monkees, the Beatles, Hermans Hermits, and all of the other popular groups of the time. I took out the glossy, full-color photos and stuck them on the wall. And loved them to pieces. (I still have most of them, or what is left of them.)

Flash forward several years to this past week. I received many presents. They were all fabulous...the DVD's from my husband, the odds and ends from my son, the books from Steph, the candle and flowers from Pam and the cards from my sister and Linda. The goodies brought into work by my boss and co-worker, Kim. And many, many birthday wishes on Facebook.

But what mattered most was the time I got to spend with people I love. Dinner with my family. Lunch with Pam. And the fact that people remembered my day, that they cared enough to celebrate with me. Enjoying the gift behind the gift. Now I know, that's the best part.