Birthday blessings

Hi everyone! It's been a busy day here in Belinda's World, but it means I'm still alive and still have a job and still have the ability to write so it's all good. :) A special day took place this week, so I'll let you read the column to find out what it was. Thanks for following this journalistic journey of mine and if you like it, tell your friends and followers! 

Original publication date: Friday, June 5, 2015
Random Writer
Birthday blessings 

This week, my mom celebrated her birthday. I've always loved her mindset on birthdays and aging, and it's something I've adopted into my own line of thinking. While so many women hesitate to share their age--due to the archaic notion that it's disrespectful to ask a woman her age--she doesn't .

"If I'm still having birthdays, that means I'm still alive," she says.

And it's true. There should be no shame in having lived a long life and adding another tally mark to the times traveled around the sun. Especially if you've been blessed like my mother has.

This year, her birthday was sprinkled about with little blessings. She received phone calls throughout the day from her sons and their families--in which she was especially delighted to talk to her grandchildren, and she enjoyed dinner with her husband and daughters. One of her coworkers bought her a bouquet of pink (her favorite color) carnations, while another fellow employee took time to make pancakes for her, which is her all-time favorite breakfast item. I even showed her the "happy birthday" messages on her Facebook page expressed by friends and family. Everything culminated to marking this particular birthday as a very blessed one.

To me, this birthday of hers sticks out to me. I think it marks for the first time a change in relationship between my mother and me, and it's a good one. We're so alike at some times it's beyond unbelievable, and in some instances I feel like the amplified version of her--more reserved, more passionate about particular issues, etc.

But beyond our similarities and very few differences, she's my mother and I'm her daughter. Even more so, I now count her as one of my dearest friends.

It's in this time of our respective lives that, I believe, this type of relationship should be established. Too many times in today's society, we see tweens, teenage girls and even young college-age ladies whose mother just wants to be seen as more than an authority figure and simply liked and not respected. As a result of that desire, mothers allow their daughters to embark on whatever suits them instead of what will shape and mold them into young women of class, respect, poise and--for Christ-followers--a young women who seeks after God with her whole heart.

I really didn't do much as far as hanging out with people until I headed to college, and when I took my first road trip in college, I called my mother to ask permission. Most of my friends looked at me in shock and awe--we were in college...away from our parents...so why ask permission? Because I respected her.

She as well as my father should know where I was venturing off to. And in typical fashion, my mother gave me the usual spiel saved for whenever I headed off somewhere: be respectful; be courteous; and remember that you represent yourself, your family, and God in every decision you make and action you take.

If we had simply been friends, that phone call would have never happened, because in most cases, we don't ask friends for permission. We seek their advice and if we take it, that's good. If not, they'll understand. And today, that's where we are. Especially in the last year and a half, I've found myself sitting across from my mother on so many occasions and asking for her advice. "What do you think about this?" or "What should I do about that?" And because we are a lot alike, there are still times when our personalities and ideas clash, but in some cases, her advice was what I had in mind. I just needed to hear it from someone I love and respect as an extra vote of confidence.

I thank God for my mother and all the roles she's played and continues to play in my life...alarm clock, chauffeur, cook, editor (yes, she gets first glance at these weekly columns), encourager, and so much more. As we both get older, I don't know how long or how short the time spent between my mother and I will be on this earth, but it's the moments like anniversaries and birthdays that serve as a reminder to cherish that time.

So to my mom, I'm so glad you had an amazing birthday. I thank God that He chose to give me someone whose not only been an exceptional mother, but has become a great friend as well.