Many thanks for all the kind souls who took a moment in their precious lives to send me a birthday greeting. It’s a wonderful feeling to be remembered. But birthdays aren’t like in childhood, when just cutting the cake brought sheer joy. This time, when MLKing’s birthday came two days after mine, I reflected on what he said just hours before he was assassinated.
“Like anybody, I would like to live a long life—longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will…. And so I’m happy tonight; I’m not worried about anything; I’m not fearing any man.”
My birthday and King’s, remind me that our time here is limited -- how long nobody knows. But more than just staying alive as long as possible, I know I’ve got to use what little time remains to do my best with what I've got – to fulfill my purpose. And living like this will dissolve worries, crush fears, and bring happiness.
So in that spirit, I want to offer (almost all of you and me) a very, merry unbirthday, as they do in Alice in Wonderland. After all, there are a lot more unbirthdays than birthdays. And if we celebrate birthdays AND unbirthdays, by living fully, doing our best with what we’ve got, then every day of the year we are celebrating life.
A very merry unbirthday to me To me? To you! Now blow the candle out my dear And make your wish come true A merry merry, unbirthday to you!