Happy Belated Father's Day

I spent Father’s Day with friends at a family cookout. It was also how I celebrated my birthday. They had invited me to share the Father’s Day celebration with their family, so it seemed awkward and a bit trite to accept only to then say, “By the way, it’s my birthday. Celebrate me, too.”

Instead, I savored the joy of being included simply because they wanted me to be there. Inwardly, as sometimes I have done in past years, I quietly enjoyed the day of my birth soaking up ordinary moments of the day that were uncluttered by prescribed social birthday obligations, pondering these moments in light of years gone by and times to come.

This year, the ending of my 41st, listening to the stories and tears of an elder patriarch’s survived battle with prostate cancer, swapping jokes, laughing, playing cards, passing bowls of strawberry shortcake, touring old carcasses of foreign cars and being with friends was perfect.

I am happy to be alive.