#80thbirthday

I have a hope for you today. Really a hope for you and me. I was at a birthday party today when the guest of honor, Damon, stood up to share a round of thanks. It was his 80th birthday. He first said in jest, “When you're 80, you just get excited for one more day.” (Cue laughter.)

And then he said something incredibly profound. He said:
“Every morning when I get up to read the Bible and pray with my wife, I only have thanks to be said. I look at my life and all I can do is thank God for it.”

What an amazing statement. I think of my own prayers right now as a 33 year old child. I pray for and towards things: direction, enlightenment, hope, strength, perseverance, love, peace… all with a little elaboration. My point is that I am continually praying towards and for the journey that I am on. What was super neat today was to hear a mentor of mine say- I pray thanks. He looked at the room full of people there to celebrate with him, and I bet all he saw was his journey. He saw the faces and milestones of the people for whom and with whom he prayed throughout his life. In his heart he whispers thank you with each breath. 

Wow. I do pray thanks. I have a lot to be thankful for. But I confess the words thank you are not always on the tip of my tongue. I want this 80th birthday revelation to be mine every day from now on. I want to always be thankful first. 

I fast forward in my mind. I envision the future. My own 80th birthday. I am sitting on the porch, coffee in hand. I am smiling. I am thinking of the day's festivities. Ellen greets me with a kiss. I tell her I am 80 today and without a beat I move into a cliché joke: "80 of my best and your worst...bahaha" (old man humor is the bees knees). She says: "I know. Happy Birthday sweetie." We then talk. Probably for hours. About everything and nothing. And life is good. And God is good. And tears form in the corner of my eyes (because I have turned into a cry baby. That's a current statement not an 80 year old statement). I look at her and simply say, “I have so much to be thankful for.” Then we start sharing lots of stories of half-truths because our memories are more like fog, and I have made up so many outlandish stories to get a rise out of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren that there is a very blurred line between reality and fiction.

Our hope--that story. It starts today. Every single day: Be thankful.

Dear Adam,

First of all, when I am 80 I better have a sweet set up. I put up with you for a looooooooong time. Just saying. And second, thank you for 80 years of memories. Thank you for the snuggles (future snuggles because obviously you aren't here and your mother would be really sick and tired of me if I curled up to her belly all the time)- they really are my favorite. And thirdly, be thankful. Every day. Even the bad ones. Find something to be thankful for. And be thankful to God. He has put things in motion that we cannot fathom. It will be hard some times to be thankful, especially to God. You will most likely want to blame him for things. Look past that. Look for the blessing. Look for the thanksgiving. (Mmm, Thanksgiving.) Here is a short list to start with. Each day, think on these things and smile and be thankful.

1. Your mother and I. We love you. We want the best for you. Our goal is to provide for you in every way.

2. Today. Because we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
3. The people you get to share life with. Someone needs you. Be ready. And be thankful.

4. Your toys. Because they are going to be a lot of fun.
5. Your acute skills of manliness that your father has bestowed upon you. (For those of you who know me, stop laughing. For those of you that don't, let’s just pretend I am like Old Yankee Workshop meets Bob Goff meets Gas Monkey meets Bear Grylls meets Wolfgang Puck meets personified Bow-and-arrow.)

Thank you, Adam. You have opened my eyes to a whole new meaning of life. 

Love,

Arguably the Future Sexiest 80 Year Old Alive

P.S. Hurry up (but not really) and get here because I want to hang out and your mother is desperate for someone else to be my audience to entertain.