Week 2.47: Amazing Friends and Family

Week 2.47: Amazing Friends and Family is a photo taken at my latest birthday bash...I'm not a numbers girl, so, of course, I'm not telling you any numbers...they don't really matter anyway. I believe that more and more firmly as each year goes by...and they seem to be passing at alarmingly frequent intervals lately...

Anyway, I had this birthday dream that my friends would be gathered at dusk and I would hand out sparklers (which, by the way, I'd been saving since the 4th of July holiday) and everyone was meant to spell a letter of "H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y-!-!" out with their sparkler so that I could smash it through my lens and have a photo of it.

Allegedly.

What actually happened is what you see in this weeks photo. Pandemonium and chaos. Derisive comments from the peanut gallery (aka: "The Engineers"). Fire hazards. Lots of questions which, sadly, I could not answer. And, thankfully, some good laughs.

I had a stash of sparklers which allowed two attempts at my dream coming to fruition, but both were a bust. I lost about half the people by the second round. Several factors contributed to this issue.

Sadly, I was born in late summer when light lasts longest, and people had to get back to their "normal" lives before dusk really set in nicely. Sadly, I was born in late summer which is when school starts here, so it was technically a "school night." Sadly, I was born in late summer which is when pre-season football starts, so most of the guys present were happy to zone out in front of one of several screens in the clubhouse. Sadly, I was born in late summer, but not at the end of the month, as one friend pointed out...which means that my birthday and party landed (very inconveniently for her) on not a payday weekend. So sorry. I'll try to do better next time, Kids.

Anyway, in spite of all of that, I remain in awe of the love and support I receive from friends and family on a regular basis. Amazing Friends and Family is great evidence of that love for me. All of these people drove pretty far out of their way so they could stand there and spell a letter in sparkler with giant smiles on their faces. All of these people express a love for my artistic bent. All of these people stood dangerously close to someone else swinging a fire stick around just so I could try to get a semblance of the letter formations. (I actually couldn't fit everyone in the photo...my sister's boyfriend is cut off on the right side...and my parents, my nephew and my friends' son are missing...even though they were all there.)

Obviously not a success story in the execution department.

That's not my strong suit anyway.

I have a lot of strong suits, though. I love my friends fiercely. I have pretty decent comedic timing. I can almost always guess when someone just needs a hug. I brew a mean pot of coffee. I dream big dreams and fanciful dreams. I know how to let my hair down and have a good time. I can always make time to hear my friends and family share their hearts. I love a good laugh. I aim to spread laughter and smiles. I work hard. I play often. I rest happily. I own my flaws.

Execution. Not my thing. But a whole lot of other things are. And my Amazing Friends and Family are living, breathing proof of people who mean the world to me. Who love me because of my flaws, not in spite of them. Who support me because they believe in me, even though I tend to be an eleventh hour girl. Just like this post, which, of course, is late in general and happens to be posting forty-three days after my party. Whatever. It's up now.

Thank you, Amazing Friends and Family for loving me and supporting me and cheering for me and believing in me and celebrating with me on my birthday and every other day we get to share this thing called life. I am thankful for each and every one of you and your continual generosity toward me in every way thinkable. You're the best a girl could ask for. I feel truly, truly blessed.