Adventures in Gluten (and Sugar) Freedom from a southern blogger chick!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

The last day of my 50th year (A Sunday Blessing)

Tomorrow is my birthday. I will be 51 years old.

I am a sentimental old fool when it comes to my birthday.

I never thought I'd live past 23. In fact, in high school, I was sure I would be dead before I finished college. I always had a macabre sense of humor...AT one point I even had my funeral planned.

I'd like to take this little bit of blog space to thank you, my friends and my family, who visit here looking for wacky stories and recipes from the South. This blog has been my respite since August. It keeps me on my gluten free diet, it keeps me positive that I'm healing myself. And it lets me have new friends in places I never dreamed about.

My blessing is that I have so much good in my life, even if there are challenges I face every day. No one said it was going to be easy. If it's too easy, I generally don't appreciate it. So here are some people and things I appreciate as I move into this next year. I hope one year from today, all these things are still as vital a part of my life as they this minute.

Randy, I appreciate you AND love you because you love me for all I am, and all I am not. Jeffrey, I appreciate you AND love you, even if I do want to make you walk home some days. Daddy, I appreciate you AND love you more than you'll ever know, especially since you know how hard I work every day and love me unconditionally, even when I disappoint you. Mary, I appreciate and love all you've done for my Daddy. When my mother died, I never thought he'd be happy again, but 10 years later, he is as happy as I've ever seen him, and healthy, too. Friends, too many to name, I hope to be as good a friend to you as you've been to me. Students, current, former, and future, know that I try to teach you the best I can, but YOU have to take it from there. I am so proud of you and I genuinely appreciate all your successes. Adopted sisters, brothers, childre, nieces, nephews, and grandbabies, I appreciate your tolerance of my need to make my circle of life larger than it is.

I had pneumonia on my 50th birthday, and the year that followed that day had a lot of medical challenges in it. I'm proud to say I got through them all. The year to come certainly has its challenges in store, but I hope all the lessons I've learned in the past 50 years will serve me for the next 50.

Much love to you all, and thank you for being here for me!
Ging

P.S. I do have one request. I am facing something at work Wednesday that I dread, and I need strong, encouraging thoughts. I can't tell you what it is, what it's about, or anything like that, but do know it will be something tough for me and a few of my colleagues. If you pray, pray for us. I need all the positive affirmations I can get right now.

12 comments:

Cassandra said...

Happy Birthday!!
We'll keep you in our prayers. :)

Unknown said...

I knew there was a reason I liked you so much! Our birthday's are the same week! Mine is Saturday!
Hope you have a great day and that this is the start to a better year!
Prayers going up for Wednesday, too!

Kate said...

Happy Birthday, Ging!

No waorries about Wednesday. Anyone named GINGER - Sweet and Spicy! - can do ANYTHING! :) You Go Girl! We've got you covered. :)

Stephanie ODea said...

Happy Birthday, Ginger! This year is going to rock!
-steph

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! No worries, 51 is going be AWESOME!!

Sending all my good thoughts on Wednesday... ;)

a kelly said...

Happy Birthday Ginger Carter Miller!
If I could I would send you gluten free cake from you know where...
(just for future reference...chocolate or vanilla??)
My good wishes and prayers are with you, Wednesday will be worry free!

All the best my blog friend!
alex

The Watsons said...

Happy Birthday, Carter, and here's to 50 more!

Thanks for being so special to so many people and for loving us just the way we are! We are all lucky to know you.

Prayers and hugs for Wednesday...sounds like something tough...you'll be okay.

Bill said...

Echoing JHW, here's to 50 more!

Crave said...

Happy Birthday! And good luck on Wednesday!

Karen

Melanie said...

Happy Birthday and sending prayers your way!

Joy Peterson said...

Happy Birthday - one day late!

Hope tomorrow goes well! We'll be praying for all of you from Rome.

Anonymous said...

Happy Belated Birthday! I am adding you to my prayers today