Okay, so my last two posts may not be the blog equivalent of War and Peace, but they are, shall we say, for the long-distance readers among you. And I’m getting ready for another edition of Makeover Monday. So today, I promise to keep my thoughts short! Well, shorter.

Since it actually is my birthday today, I’ve been thinking about birthday wishes. A lot of people have been wishing me a happy birthday on Facebook, and, reading these messages, I suddenly wondered what a “happy birthday” is. When I said “Happy birthday!” to my twin sister on the phone a little while ago, what exactly was I wishing for her? Lots of presents and a fabulous cake? No, those are things, which can be happy-making, certainly, but don’t constitute happiness in themselves.

Maybe it’s having that one day that’s focused only on you? That’s probably getting a little closer; remember that feeling from your childhood, that excitement building up for at least a week before your birthday? I do. (And I grew up with seven brothers and sisters, so having that one day really counted.)

And yet, this week, when my daughter asked me what I’d like to do for my birthday, I automatically said, “Oh, you don’t have to do anything. It’s no big deal.” ??? Excuse me, self, but it is a very big deal that you were born!

So, just for today, my happy birthday will be all about me: what I want to do (drive out to the ocean, a favorite winter activity), what I want to eat (a fabulous French menu, cooked by me except for the clafoutis, which Valerie has volunteered to make), and what I want to write! And now, since I’m about to head to the beach, I’ll leave you with one last deeply philosophical thought:

Great. Now I have that song stuck in my head.