get out your party hats, it is birthday week

Last year, Rick and I celebrated our monumental birthdays (35 and 40) with a weekend away and what was supposed to be our first and most awesomest weekend away without kids (need I even begin to discuss how impossible it is to get away when you have two kids?). That weekend was instead the start of the crappiest year the two of us have spent together. Hence 2010 was dubbed the Year of Crap. Needless to say, I have been eagerly awaiting this year’s Birthday Week.


Birthday week started off on a tough note. Rick’s grandma passed away. Her passing is sad but also welcomed as she hasn’t been herself these past few years since Alzheimer’s had taken over the person that most people remember. We spent a brief 48 hours with the family in Oklahoma saying goodbye to grandma. The events leading up to the service were filled with drama and some silliness most of which Rick had to get involved in. It almost got to the point where it seemed like people were forgetting exactly what had happened and that we need to be together to celebrate the life of someone that was special to everyone in the family.


I foolishly pride myself on not attending funerals, I have lost all 4 grandparents and I did not attend any of their ceremonies. Hindsight, I wish I would have been there not because I now like funerals but to be there for my parents. It was heartbreaking to see grandma’s remaining brother and sister cope with the service.
During Grandma Pauline’s service, the minister made the statement (and I paraphrase): If you think Pauline is up in heaven looking down at you and helping, forget about that because she isn’t. Pauline helped you all she could when she was here with you. Grandma is now in heaven, focusing on herself.

The minister’s message and the events surrounding grandma’s passing made me think about the year in crap in a new light. It made me think about how despite the year of crap, the thing that has really helped are the friends and family that have been there for us even when it was as simple as me wanting to talk about what was going on. I am not even sure if some of those friends completely realize how crappy things have been or that they were helping but they were. We aren’t 100% back on track but we are getting there and I just don’t know how possible it would have been if I had just sat around waiting for someone to take over. We once heard a show where the guest told the host that there is a 100% chance that you will die. Our time here is short and I think we often forget that. We waste too much time on silly, petty things and too much energy on things we can’t resolve. As we start 2011, I hope to focus less on those small things and hopefully spend more time with friends and family and just enjoy being here and being able to help others while I am here.

Birthday week isn’t filled with anything too wild. We do have reservations at Wink for Saturday. A friend from high school will be in town tomorrow so it will be fun to see her after several years and meet her daughter and husband. I imagine (and hoping) there will be some sort of decadent chocolate dessert and fingers crossed some gingerbread pancakes.

And so despite the delay, I am ready to start 2011 and what I am offically dubbing the Year of Optimism. I am starting by remaining optimistic that we will not lose power again for 3 hours in 20 degree weather. It is amazing how quickly it gets cold when there is no heat running.