it's not your birthday

I want to fill my life with people who are more than wedding/funeral/reunion type people.
I want to fill my life with people who are more than birthday/holiday type people.
I want a life FULL of everyday, ordinary, “just because it’s Tuesday” kind of people.
Those are the relationships I crave… the memories I want to make…
Not that the birthday greetings and Christmas cards and such aren’t precious… but I can’t even begin to tell you how much more precious every little “just because” is to me.
I think about how much richer my relationship with my nieces has become because we have an ordinary, everyday relationship. I know so much more about them… I know their friends… I know what flavor gum they like… I know which side of the car they like to sit on (Jamie on the drivers side because she likes to ride with the window down and Sarabeth on the passenger side because that window doesn’t roll down in the back). We have inside jokes, even now, as young as they are!
You know… there are so many things that *unless you blog everyday like me* you don’t mention in conversation. There just isn’t enough time to catch up with people on holidays. Or at reunions. Or funerals.
I didn’t know until a few months ago that my daddy doesn’t eat shrimp. How did I go my whole life without knowing that?
I love facebook because it gives me so many more "everyday" relationships. It helps me know the mundane, boring things that would probably never come up in those rare times I come in contact with people who are distant -in miles or in years.
I get to see what my first cousin once removed is doing.. i think that's awesome.
When I think back on my most precious memories with my kids… they aren’t the straight A report cards… or the big birthday parties… or the touchdowns… the best memories are the Saturday morning breakfasts with Cody… singing along to show tunes in the car with Austin… the times that Ryan calls to chat because he’s bored… those are the things that matter most.
There are times, even now, even though we’ve not lived under the same roof for 25 years, that my brother and I will exchange a whole paragraph of information with just a glance. That comes from a lot of everyday time spent when we were younger.
When Austin had to write an essay for his State writing assessment about a period in time he would choose to go to if he could travel in time… he picked the year 2000… because this was the time that his brothers both still lived at home with him. Amazing, isn’t it? He misses those every day relationships. I do too.
I've decided to send a lot more snail mail. I've decided to send "it's not your birthday" cards. I've decided to be more intentional in those uncelebratory events.
The Lord has seen fit to fill my life with people who are interested in what happens to me... people who care about me... people who actually WANT to hear from me...
My nest may be growing empty... but the longer I live, the fuller my life becomes.
I'm not going to miss that blessing.
The Lord saw fit to give me a talent to write... good handwriting... and a tender heart toward those who are hurting or lonely.
I want to use those skills more.
Send me your address and I'll send you something. I've got lots of stamps leftover from Christmas... I want to use them.
And I hope you'll return some of those "it's not your birthday" greetings.
Love and hugs!