Happy Birthday Frank!

Happy Birthday to me! At 6:52 a.m. I turned 49 years old. One more year ande I turn the big 50....but not yet!

What a year. I went back and reread the post from this time last year. I can certainly see the big-time growth that I have experienced. Last year at this time I was pretty frightened of my own shadow. This year, I'm moving on....albeit slowly, but surely.

My mom and dad came up from West Virginia to spend my birthday week with me. We went to Harper's Ferry yesterday and had a grand time. We then came home and just visited with each other. Mother told me some stories of the day I was born....and how I was born in a Catholic Hospital. She also told me about one of the nuns, Diane, stuck right with her during the labor and delivery.

We also talked about a lot of my relatives...a lot of whom have departed this life and are now on the other side. It's so very sad as we get older, the number of people we lose.

So far I've heard from a number of friends and relatives. Tomorrow my office is having a catered affair to celebrate my birthday at lunchtime. It certainly is meaningful to hear from so many, who have remembered my birthday. I also had a couple of friends to take me out over the weekend for my birthday. That was something too.

I guess the most amazing part of this whole year is that I have made some great new friends. The most amazing part of all is the fact is that they appear to sincerely care about me.....as a person....and want me to be happy on this, my day.

It's funny, but during the marriage, I generally had a very few people who would remember.