The thing about birthdays is the older you get the faster they seem to come. When we were younger it seemed to take forever for another birthday to arrive. However, now before you know it you have gone through a whole series of holidays throughout the year and you find yourself adding another digit to the total.

Because my birthday falls around Thanksgiving, every few years it is actually on Thanksgiving day. However, it is always within the Thanksgiving celebratory season, which gives me the opportunity to reflect and be thankful for all the wonderful things that my life has brought me. I have a loving family that is still a major part of my life. My spouse and I have been together for 19 wonderful years. I have a good job and amazing friends that are an integral part of my life. Those who travel, celebrate, laugh and cry with me and yes even those that put up with my Mah Jongg madness at times.

My friend Elena once wrote a paper about the dash in your life. At the end of our lives we always see peoples’ birthdate and date of passing with a dash in the middle. She said the most important thing about our lives is what that dash represents. All the things that happen between those two dates are what we are remembered for. What we want that dash to be is totally within our power.

For those of us that were born around the holidays, our birthdays often get lost in the season. I was fortunate to have a family that never let that happen. My nephew was born on December 26th and we always make an extra effort to ensure that his birthday is celebrated. This week I became a Great Uncle for the first time when my niece and her husband gave birth to our newest addition to the family, Carter on the 26th. We will strive to do the same for him.

The thing about birthdays are that you get 24 hours to be the center of attention and then once that day has passed you slip back into every day life. It is important to use those 24 hours to celebrate you, look back on all you have accomplished and count your blessings for another year to have the opportunity do even more good in the world.

As I turn 56 today, mentally I feel much younger, some days physically I feel much older. However, I will celebrate the fact that I have this amazing life with all those around me working hard to ensure that others have a just a little brighter life as well. In my down moments I will remember the path before me and honor the path ahead of me. I will know there is always tomorrow and God willing only 365 days until I get to celebrate it all over again.

Happy birthday to all my fellow November babies. Have a great day and remember to be the reason someone smiles.

Ron