Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my birthday! The sun is shining and I'm listening to Hari Bhajan's 'We Are God' ~ 'life is so beautiful, its such a gift, we are one'. I had so many FaceBook birthday wishes when woke up this morning! I truly feel very loved today. Thank you to all of you! I have three beautiful women friends who share my birthday with me, Leanne, Robin and Tracey. Happy Birthday to all of you, too!

There is also Brian Little who I share my birthday with. Brian was two years younger than me and his brother Warren one year younger. I met Warren when I was one and a half years old. I can clearly remember our moms holding us up introducing us. Warren was my very first friend and then came Brian. We were the three musketeers and we were neighbours until I was in my 20's after my mom died and my Dad sold the house. The three of us did everything together as kids. I was quite the tomboy, no barbies for this chick! I just couldn't understand why you would want to sit around dressing and undressing plastic dolls when you could be tearing through the neighbourhood on your bike, climbing trees or building the world's greatest treefort! Warren, Brian and I did just that, we had the world's greatest treefort.

I'm sad that we don't have a picture of it but we made the whole thing ourselves out of scrap pieces of wood, nails and rope. It was off the ground and two stories. You had to use the rope to climb into it. Looking back I can't believe our parents let us sleep in there! I'm sure it was completely unsafe but for us it was a place of security. Other neighbourhood kids were jealous of our fort as they were always raiding it and us defending it. Like the day my nose was broken because Marty M. threw a dirt bomb at me and it had a rock in the center. Needless to say it hit me square in the nose! Yes, I was a tomboy. I don't recall how old I was but one birthday all I wanted was a green shirt so I could be camouflaged in the woods. I also wanted fried chicken, cream corn and mashed potatoes for dinner, definitely a favourite meal but then my Mom did make the best fried chicken ever!

Warren, Brian and I had siblings too. Me, two sisters, Julie and Marie. They had the twins, Keith and Karen. All seven of us grew up as one big family with four parents who all disciplined us when necessary. One Easter all seven of us thought it would be a good idea to throw rocks across the highway until one innocent driver ended up with a broken windshield. It was not a pleasant outcome for us kids.

I have so many memories of Warren and Brian. The one that stands out the most for all of us kids is when the three of us were playing on the Skidder. We had a Skidder because we lived out of town and our Dad's used it to plow the driveways and road of snow in the winter. It was a warm summer day and we were playing on it and one of us started it. We didn't mean to but it happened and it scared us so much because we had no idea how to turn it off. We had to call your Dad's at work. We thought for sure that we were in a heap of trouble but what ended up happening was a big barbecue and lots of people. It was a good day after all!

Both Warren and Brian were born with heart defects. Brian passed away in November 1995 at 29 after a hockey game and Warren in March 2003 at 38. I miss them both so much. Especially on my birthday as Brian and I always shared that special bond. It's lonely being the one musketeer but I'm still close to Keith and Karen and I hope to see them this summer as its been too long to be away from family.

Warren's birthday was February 23 which is also the day his father, Doug Little passed away in 1993 while having heart surgery. I miss them all so much. The Little's all played a huge part of my childhood as I said we were like one large family.

So, today is my birthday and I'm spending it writing my blog, doing laundry, cleaning up the kitchen and then being put to sleep to have a camera put in my throat. I can't go out for dinner or eat cake anyway as I'm on a very strict diet/cleanse. I'm waiting till mid-April to celebrate! Last year at this time I was completing my Registered Massage Therapy course and so excited about the future and my career and today I'm just hoping I wake up. It's so amazing where a year can take us!

My birthday wish today is that we all stop complaining. I'm very guilty of it too! Stop complaining about the potholes in the roads, a slow line up at the grocery store, if its raining or sunny. Stop complaining because you have ate too much or if there is too much clutter in your house. Stop complaining if someone may have hurt you or isn't paying enough attention to you. Go to them and give them your heart. Stop complaining if gas prices are going up. Stop complaining about all the petty things you complain about everyday. Everyone stop complaining and if you feel the need to do so, do it while watching a news report on Japan and see if that ceases your complaining. I can't fathom what they are going through. It's absolutely heartbreaking. God Bless.

On this day the Lord gave you life, may you use it to serve Him, all of my loving prayers will be with you, may you never forget Him, May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you and the pure light within you guide your way on!