51

Today I celebrated my birthday, my 51st birthday. I did some reflection on those 51 years as well as where my life is today and all I've gone through this past year.

I am so thankful for my life. I see each and every day of my 51 years as a gift from God. Not every day was a good one and there have been hard things I've had to go through, but that doesn't take away from the gift that God has given me - my life.

I hear people, mostly younger people, say they hate their life or "F*** my life." This bothers me. Maybe most of them would say, "it's just a saying, I don't really hate my life." Maybe they need to realize what they're actually saying then, and how much power words like these can have in their lives. I think what they are really needing to say is, "my life really sucks right now." Guess what? Life sucks some times, maybe even a lot of times. But that doesn't mean that we should let it affect our attitudes, our outlook, and the fact that our lives are gifts and full of blessings.

This issue has been bothering me lately and I'm unable to articulate exactly what I want to say. The more I think about it, the more complex it gets. I just want people (not necessarily my readers here, but yes if it applies - you!) to see how incredible life is, how their attitudes are a choice they make, and how much they have and should be thankful for. I want to say that we can't let our personal challenges and struggles color our world to a dark and dismal place. I want everyone to know that God gave each of us a life that He wants us to live to the fullest and with joy - each and every day, year after year.

Thank you, God, for the best birthday present I could ever ask for.