Today is my birthday! And I'm wigging out.

Oh, it's awesome. You get more brains, and stuff.

How old are you?

Getting older is great. Every year is one in which I have learned more about myself, about how to make the life I want. Those added years are expressed in self-awareness and wisdom. (Also, judging by this post, pretentious over-writing, but I swear that's lack of coffee talking, not me. )

Happy birthday. Hope it's a great one for you.

Happy birthday! I definitely recommend getting older. I find I am less concerned with: what other people think of me, my appearance, my worth to the outside world. I am more concerned with: filling my life with things and people I love. Plus, it beats the alternative, right? Have a great day!

Maryn, you're a poet, we all know it, and your legs show it, cuz they're Longfellows!

Happy birthday Toothpaste. I think life started getting good at 25 and has been getting better ever since. One of the benefits is to tell the joke above and get away with it. But the best thing is not having to live up to all the expectations and game playing we think we have to do at younger ages. A bunch of crap went down when I was about 40, and when the dust cleared I found an old career aspiration statement I wrote when I was 17 to get into a summer program. I realized that I had achieved every one of my life and career goals, and life was only half over. Wife gone elsewhere (her choice), big empty house on the market, job stalled in a place I didn't like living, I asked myself what else I could do with this life. I'd spent my whole life scrambling to have the "American Dream" life. I was able to have that life and I was grateful for it when I had it. But there was no reason to scramble to get it back. This led to living in Africa for two years, a major and wonderful career change, and personal and travel adventures I never would have guessed.

Who knows what the coming years will bring for you? The choices you make will be up to you, but the outcomes are going to be equally wonderful, frightening, natural, sometimes painful, sometimes planned for and sometimes surprises both good and bad. This is as it should be. This is life. Live it. Be awesome.

happy birthday.

Toothpaste, with every passing year I give less of a fuck about more things. It's positively enlightening.

I hope you celebrate truly and well.

Jubilant blessings and a joyous celebration on this recurrent commemoration of your natal event!

Today is also my birthday. I'm not wigging out over it, exactly, but I've got a couple of difficult things going on in my life at the moment that make me feel not exactly celebratory, so I feel your pain. Birthdays are not always unmixed joy, are they?

I'm taking a completely selfish day today (I have not had one of those in quite a while). I went for a run, gave myself a pedicure and a facial so I'd look all purty, am doing a bit of writing this afternoon, and later tonight am having dinner and going to listen to some jazz with a friend.

I shall raise a glass of wine in your honor tonight. I hope you have a wonderful day.

ETA:

And here's my own bit of birthday philosophy. I'm not sure I can say I'm getting better, exactly, but with every year I'm getting to understand myself a little more, and am a little more able to take a step into someone else's world view, if that makes sense. I'm a little more driven to understand the meaning behind things rather than to simply react to them. And I think that's a good thing. I wouldn't be 21 again. Seriously. I wouldn't.

I've found that the older I get, the more I can get away with doing this ----->

Happy Birthday, Darlin'

You look MAHVELOUS, by the way.

By the way, a funny "here's something I wouldn't have done on my 21st birthday" story.

As I mentioned, I gave myself a facial today. The mask stuff is jet black. Picture me in a gray bathrobe, a bright turquoise shower cap, and opaque jet-black cream on my lily-white face.

The doorbell rang. It turned out to be a surprise flower delivery. I swear the flower delivery guy leapt back when I opened the door and he saw me.

When I was 21, I never would have let a stranger see me like that if I could have possibly helped it. Now, meh, I just didn't care. I wasn't naked. That's all that mattered, right?

I was just thinking the exact same thing, Maryn. A full body mask, why not?

Happy Birthday, Toothpaste!

When I get down about aging, I just remind myself of the alternative!

Also, for me anyway, life is much nicer now. The heavy-lifting is done and now it's pretty much all about me and my sweetie and what WE want. Getting older has its perqs.

you are an attractive woman as I recall from a former avatar or whatnot of yours. so no need for "a wig," unless you want one which would be fine of course, but unnecessary imo. as to what I have learnt, I have learnt to learn from others. Always have, but nowadays I do even more so. People know a lot and have a lot to offer if you tune in and really tend to what they say !

ps Happy Birthday, writer. we are all wondering just how far you'll go

pps Happy Birthday as well to others with birthdays today. Fine set of people, all in all.

I didn't see this until today, but let me tell you that as a person who met you face to face, I admire your poise, beauty and confidence. You've got a long way to go to step into my shoes, but at (recently) 56, I still feel like a kid with my whole life before me. Except for the sore joints, of course.

Tomorrow is my birthday and to me it's just another day.

I know what you mean, Toothpaste (love that user name!). Some birthdays you just feel...older. Or like something might be passing you by and you're still waiting on the platform.

But think of all that you have accomplished. I know--I've seen you for years here. And there are wonderful things ahead for you.

And I can top Chumplet. I'm 60. GAHHH!

So, a belated happy birthday!