Wine and An Orchid

Today I turned 50!  I told my family I did not want to celebrate, no cards, no gifts, just Valentines...and no mention of my birthday!  This one has really bothered me.  No others ever really made an impact, but 50, 50 has really bothered me, and yes I have shed a tear or two.

I was just 35....just a year to two ago it seems.  A lot has happened in my life since then...the death of my father over 10 years ago, dealing with the impact it left on my mother, her health and gradual decline and caring for two children and a husband, involved in sports and scouts and school and church....one child severely affected by asthma and allergies and two weekly trips an hour away for three allergy shots each visit...doctors, and hospitals and pneumonia and breathing machines....and life goes on...very quickly.

So today I am 50...I wonder where the time has gone.  I have been a stay at home mom, not because we could actually afford it, but because we really didn't have choice.  I have been blessed to be there for my children and I love them more than life itself....but where did the time go...I feel the same inside...but the years have taken a bit of a toll on me...weight, gray hair, fuzzy eyesight.  My decorating business years ago really took off, I met and have stayed friends with most of my early clients.  It was just too difficult to run a business by myself and take care of everyone else. 

So today I turned 50....I really wanted to avoid it...but here it is.  After spending the day with my mom, taking her to the doctor and running errands, I came home to a package sitting next to my garage door.....
WINE and AN ORCHID!!!  Although I received page after page of facebook well wishes....and I made my family promise not to do anything....there it was...a present...celebrating this day that I wanted to avoid!

 This beautiful orchid just sitting there in my driveway...reminding me that birthdays are special and that I should be happy to be 50!  You see, I had a cancer scare in December....Cervical Cancer...had a hysterectomy the Monday after Christmas...all they found was pre-cancer...caught really early!!!  So the gift of WINE and AN ORCHID gave me the gift of being grateful for my time here!!!  I have a lot left to give and a lot of ideas and wonderful plans for starting my business back after all these years!!!!

To my angel....who thought enough to do this for me...you gave me a bigger gift than you ever realized!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Love to all,

Martha