![\"81724683_1452676461565460_7634062381592608768_n\"](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/81724683_1452676461565460_7634062381592608768_n.jpg\")
<\/a>I had written an entirely different column for today, but it was more of a pity<\/em> party than a birthday<\/em> one, so I scrapped it.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather celebrate<\/em> than remonstrate.<\/p>\nSo let me just once again state how grateful I am, not just today, but\u00a0every<\/em> day.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m grateful for the few\u00a0true friends I have.\u00a0\u00a0And, always, for Mr. X.\u00a0\u00a0And since today\u00a0is<\/em>\u00a0my birthday, I\u2019m utterly grateful for another year of life.\u00a0\u00a0Seriously.\u00a0\u00a0I know I sometimes get maudlin on this occasion, but I always\u00a0do<\/em>\u00a0reflect on how lucky we all are to still be on this level of life.<\/p>\n Ever since I was a little girl, (as I\u2019m sure most<\/em> people do,) I\u2019ve looked forward to unwrapping my birthday gifts. As a grown-up who used to throw birthday extravaganzas for myself, (up until just a few years ago, as a matter of fact,) I\u2019d even have a second<\/em> fete in the same week to open them all! Those invites were pretty coveted because those way smaller gatherings were always quite the happenings.<\/p>\n So the only gifts I really<\/em> like to receive anymore are services, (like massages, facials, mani\/pedis, and the like,) and experiences, (like someone taking me to the theatre or afternoon tea, helping with my annual garage sales, or something else fun like that. Spending time with my friends is always celebratory.) I\u2019m really hoping that one of my loca<\/em>l pals will be kind enough to take me to see Frozen<\/em>, the musical before it leaves town in a few weeks! I\u2019d be very happy with them for that!<\/p>\n I also adore getting calls from people I don\u2019t get to talk to more often than once or twice a year. (On both of our b-days, of course!) Those convos are always special.<\/p>\n Mr. X and I had a wonderful time on my birthday last<\/em> year! We went to a screening of what became our favorite movie of that season, Green Book<\/em>, with Viggo Mortensen speaking after. And it was in a theatre close to our house, which made it even better. We had a fun and delicious dinner beforehand, with something so crazy happening (it involves an interloper,) that we still laughingly reference it all the time. (And you know that we\u2019ll be talking about it today<\/em>!) And then, in our quest for dessert on the way home, we came upon an absolutely delicious one by accident. And…the waiter didn\u2019t even charge us for it because…it was my bday! What a fun surprise that was!<\/p>\n<\/a>But these<\/em> days, there\u2019s just about nothing I ever desire in the way of material<\/em> presents. My daily life has everything pretty much covered. As a matter-of-fact, I actually need to get rid of<\/em> a bunch of stuff!<\/p>\n<\/a>Having no family<\/em> to celebrate with, (except for Mr. X, of course,) friends become even more important on my birthday. So we\u2019ll see who comes through for me today. (But in all honesty, I\u2019m not holding my breath. I just hope that at least one<\/em> person will surprise me. In a good<\/em> way, of course!)<\/p>\n