Birthday Reminisces and a Prayer
On my twenty-sixth birthday, I want to post a few thoughts on past birthdays.
I remember my mother making me a chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting when I was quite young. She never did find that recipe again, but she made me many incredible birthday cakes. I remember so many special times--trips to Ellsworth, ME to eat at The Mex or Hilltop House, countless basketball shirts and shorts, Portland birthdays, Owls Head birthdays, and so much more. I had a very happy childhood, and I was never happier than when surrounded by my family's love on my birthdays. My father, mother, and sister always made my birthdays very special times. I was a blessed child.
When I was in junior high, my Strachan grandparents kindly bought me my first pair of really cool sneakers: the Shaq InstaPumps. You filled them up with a little CO2 pump. They were incredibly cool. All my friends thought so. I was on top of the world.
In my senior year of college, my friends Keegan, Colin, Jed, Suen, Emily, Claire and others combined to throw me a really fun birthday party. Our dear elderly friend Mr. Knowles and his son's family came as well. It was a special time. I have not and will not forget it.
This is my first birthday as a married man. I told my wife that last year, she was my birthday gift. We got engaged on April 28, 2006, so you understand. A year later, I feel the same way. When you have love, you really don't need anything else. It sounds cliched until you test it out. Then you know. I'm going to write more about my wonderful wife at another time, but for now, it is enough to simply repeat what I just said: my wife is the only gift I need this year. If I never got another, and had only her love, I would be the richest man on earth.
Thank you, Lord, for this life. Thank you for twenty-six years of life, years so filled with your kindness. Thank you for a loving family, and for the new family you've given me in the last year. Thank you for an incredible wife, and the many joys you give me through her. If I see 70 more birthdays come and go, or another one never comes, thank you for all this. This birthday is not about me--it is about You and Your kindness to me, Your gifts of life and love and happiness and joy and hope and fulfillment and salvation and heaven and forgiveness. You are an amazing God, I am a sinful man, and I am still astounded that the two of us may know one another, and that you will continue to love me for all my days.
Thank you, Lord, for this life. May I live it for you.
I remember my mother making me a chocolate cake with butter-cream frosting when I was quite young. She never did find that recipe again, but she made me many incredible birthday cakes. I remember so many special times--trips to Ellsworth, ME to eat at The Mex or Hilltop House, countless basketball shirts and shorts, Portland birthdays, Owls Head birthdays, and so much more. I had a very happy childhood, and I was never happier than when surrounded by my family's love on my birthdays. My father, mother, and sister always made my birthdays very special times. I was a blessed child.
When I was in junior high, my Strachan grandparents kindly bought me my first pair of really cool sneakers: the Shaq InstaPumps. You filled them up with a little CO2 pump. They were incredibly cool. All my friends thought so. I was on top of the world.
In my senior year of college, my friends Keegan, Colin, Jed, Suen, Emily, Claire and others combined to throw me a really fun birthday party. Our dear elderly friend Mr. Knowles and his son's family came as well. It was a special time. I have not and will not forget it.
This is my first birthday as a married man. I told my wife that last year, she was my birthday gift. We got engaged on April 28, 2006, so you understand. A year later, I feel the same way. When you have love, you really don't need anything else. It sounds cliched until you test it out. Then you know. I'm going to write more about my wonderful wife at another time, but for now, it is enough to simply repeat what I just said: my wife is the only gift I need this year. If I never got another, and had only her love, I would be the richest man on earth.
Thank you, Lord, for this life. Thank you for twenty-six years of life, years so filled with your kindness. Thank you for a loving family, and for the new family you've given me in the last year. Thank you for an incredible wife, and the many joys you give me through her. If I see 70 more birthdays come and go, or another one never comes, thank you for all this. This birthday is not about me--it is about You and Your kindness to me, Your gifts of life and love and happiness and joy and hope and fulfillment and salvation and heaven and forgiveness. You are an amazing God, I am a sinful man, and I am still astounded that the two of us may know one another, and that you will continue to love me for all my days.
Thank you, Lord, for this life. May I live it for you.
posted by Owen at 12:01 PM
3 Comments:
Happy birthday buddy. Claire and I were just talking about that birthday at Bowdoin. It was at the Howell house and Dad K, Temple, and the kids came by. My dad was there as well. Lots of fun.
Hope you've had a wonderful birthday Owen. I would just like to note that you share your birthday with a significant cultural commentator . . . George Hall. Yes, today is our firstborn's birthday as well. He's spent the day ruminating upon the engineering marvel that cars and "choo choos" are. May your birthday be equally blissful!
Happy Birthday, Owen.
BC
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