“I don’t believe in aging. I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun. ” 

 ~Virginia Woolf

I am reminded I have a milestone birthday coming up.  Cool.  Although I have to admit I don’t think of it as a milestone or as getting older – it is just another day following all those that preceded it. Some place a great deal of importance on birthdays, relish the celebration and all that goes along with it and I think that is wonderful.  Celebrate away and have the best day ever!  Occasionally I enjoy the fuss and attention, too.

Mostly I consider birthdays as a place marker, a unit of time, in a –hopefully- long journey.  It has little to do with who I am beyond announcing the number of years I have walked this earth. It doesn’t dictate the age of my friends. (Seriously, how limiting would life be if we could only associate with those close to us in age?) I will never allow it to prevent future me from dancing in the moonlight if I so choose – not that I do, mind you – but I could if I wanted to 🙂  I plan to always remain enthusiastic about each new adventure that comes my way.  When people get to know me I want them to see the person I am without the association of a pesky number attached.

What I prefer to celebrate is the kind of person I have evolved into over the span of days.  The friendships I have made, the laughter I have shared and the continued interest in all those fun, quirky things life abounds with.  I have 364 days of un-birthdays to experience and one to take stock of that wonderful gift of time.  Like Virginia Woolf,  I believe in forever altering one’s aspect to the sun. That is where the true celebration lies.

Of course, I may change my mind about the whole number thing when I eventually reach 100, but then again, I might not 🙂