We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates  Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a  means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated  sites.” You can read my full disclosure by clicking on the disclosure policy in the menu above.

I’m 50! My Favorite Birthday Memories!

Soon I will be turning 50! Truthfully, I can’t really believe it! However, there are milestone birthdays throughout our lives. Notably, your first birthday. It’s, actually, our second, because our first Birthday is the day we are born. Right? Then when we turn 10 and are no longer in single digits. Truthfully, I cried when my first son turned 10 and when my last kid turned 10. Next comes 13 and we are suddenly “Teenagers!” Then we turn 20 and leave being a teen behind. 21 was a huge birthday. Then 30, where we leave our twenties behind. 40 comes and goes without much thought, but then there it is!  FIFTY!!!  I  will soon be facing 50 and wanted to share the things I’ve learned along the way.

I’m 50! My Favorite Birthday Memories

I Was Named After A Song

To begin any conversation on age, I need to first tell you that I am named after a Barbara Streisand song. My Mom has always been a huge fan of Barbara (since I am named after her song, I feel like we are on a first name basis). I was named after the song, Jenny Rebecca if you did not already guess. It is not a hugely popular song now but was in 1969. My Mom loves to rock her babies and sing and thought it was the perfect name. My Dad thought I might want a more formal name, and so I was named Jennifer Rebecca. For the most part, my family has always called me Jenny. Below I am linking to the song on Youtube.

Jenny Rebecca by Barbara Streisand

Throughout the song, Barbara belts, “What a lucky, lucky, lucky, little girl You are”. I would say I am lucky, or rather very blessed. Although I was born prematurely and almost died at birth. I was rushed to a children’s hospital, with my Dad following behind, and when I arrived, they asked him about my name.  He, of course, was a little shaken and could not remember. So, for my first week of life, my name was Baby X. That is not the lucky part, but the fact that a church of people I had never met, and my family had never met, went in the middle of the night and had a midnight prayer vigil for myself and another little baby that was close to death. I survived. So lucky, maybe, blessed, definitely.

Birthday Quote

Almost Always With A Ballerina On Top

I have always looked forward to birthdays and turning another year older. After all, the alternative is not great. I remember as a child most of my birthday parties were the same. My grandmother would purchase a beautiful chocolate cake frosted with white icing and big pink roses. Most of them had a ballerina with net tutu placed in the middle as the feature. The ballerina was only about 3 inches tall, but I loved it because I have always loved ballet. I would have a few friends over, and my grandparents would come out and we would play games and eat cake. I loved it!

Happy Birthday Number 3

My Mom invented a game called Birds, Dogs, and Cats. She would hide pennies or some other thing all over the house. Divide the kids into 3 teams and we would start. Birds were only allowed to chirp, Dogs could bark, and Cats could meow. All the children would make their various animal noises when they found a penny and the team captains would run to get them. It was a loud cacophony of animal sounds, and the team with the most pennies won! It was a blast. A couple of years ago when my brother turned 50, we played the game at his party. It was hysterical to see 25 adults running all over the room barking, meowing and tweeting.

The Birthday That Almost Wasn’t

When I turned 11 my Dad was away on business. Actually, he was really far away. He was in Canada evaluating a fallen Soviet Satellite. It was a pretty big deal at the time, but we were not allowed to talk about it. If reporters called, we were schooled from a young age to say,” no comment”. If they showed up on our doorstep, we were told to simply say” no comment” and close the door.

I don’t think I realized at the time cognitively what it meant that my Dad was going to evaluate a fallen Soviet Satellite, but I remember feeling the general amount of stress in the air. That year, I think my Mom was feeling a little overwhelmed and did not actually plan a birthday party for me. Really, we mostly ate at McDonald’s during that time. As a kid, I thought it was cool. As a grown up I realize my Mom was probably freaking out. Not just that my Dad was going to evaluate a Soviet anything, but that he was also going to Upper Canada in the dead of winter. Not the typical weather for a California family.

My Mom Could Throw A Party In A Minute

Needless to say, my Mom was amazing at throwing something together at the last minute. I remember in the mid-afternoon asking her when my party would be. She got a strange smile and said, “Tonight”! She then proceeded to call and invite our neighbors to go to Straw Hat Pizza with us. We stopped at a store on the way there and my Mom picked up a cake, and then she went to another store to do something private, so we sat in the car and waited. Thinking back, she was probably buying my gifts! We went to Straw Hat which was the best Pizza Parlor in town! They had a little band, good pizza, and it always seemed like fun there. It turned out to be a great party and good memories!

I’m 50! My Favorite Birthday Memories

The Suprise Birthday Party Filled With Surprises

When I turned 21 my sister who is 10 years my junior decided to throw me a Surprise Birthday Party! As any 10-year-old would, she invited the neighbors and all the eligible bachelors that we knew to my party. About 7 of them. One of the guys brought a homemade cheesecake as a present. She decided he should be the winner! That was the same year that she sent another eligible bachelor a Valentine’s card and signed my name. Oh, and she wrote a story about me getting engaged and soon to be married. On parent’s night, the teacher was surprised to find out I didn’t have a boyfriend. LOL. Love you, Mary!

For the most part, my adult birthday parties have been shared with my brother. I am not sure if my Mom is super patriotic, or if it was chance, but my brother Paul was born on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and I was born on George Washington’s. So, we share February birthdays and typically get together halfway through the month for a family dinner and party. My brother and I have very different tastes in almost everything, so we agree upon pizza and cake. We are the opposite in that I enjoy chocolate cake with white frosting, and he likes Yellow cake with chocolate frosting. How could two people be more different! LOL.

A Difficult Birthday Turned Awesome By A Friend

I remember the birthday party I had the year I found out I had cancer. I was in a blizzard at work, my flight was canceled, and I knew I would not get to see my family at all. My coworker, who was also stuck in the blizzard, found out it was my birthday and called the hotel we were staying at far past the time that they stopped serving room service. She begged until they agreed to defrost a brownie, put ice cream and hot sauce on it and bring it to our room with some hot coffee. It was delicious and I was so thankful for the distraction from the sudden change in my body. I had literally realized I had cancer the day before.

The next year, newly cancer-free, I had an amazing birthday! I was cancer free, and I had just become a grandma! Really, how could life get any better than that? So, as the ebb and flow of life goes, one-year Cancer and a blizzard, and the next year, Cancer free and a grandbaby. Personally, when difficult years come, I often remember the good things from the past and look forward to the good things in the future. It’s truly a good way to live life.

Sister Mary and me at Carnegie Deli

Best Birthday Trip Ever!!!

A few years ago, the company I worked at had a very good year. To celebrate they invited all of the field team to fly back east to the Corporate Headquarters for a celebration party. And, we were invited to bring a spouse or family member. I invited my sister Mary, yes, the one who threw me the Surprise Party. After all, I owed her one! LOL. Since we were flying almost all the way across the country, we decided to fly all the way to New York after the work party. We made a few plans and were on our way! I used airline miles for free tickets, hotel points for a suite at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, and my sister who is an awesome trip planner made the rest of the plans.

So yes, birthday week in New York, Suite at the Waldorf, Wicked on Broadway, hailing New York Taxi’s and walking late at night to the Carnegie Deli. Yes, very awesome Birthday. It was in the middle of a snowstorm, but even that helped two California girls to realize that they were somewhere magical, together, making memories. It was a very good birthday.

I’m 50! My Favorite Birthday Memories

On To 50

So, on to 50. I am really excited about turning 50 this year. I have a few more lines showing up on my face, but I have worked hard my entire life to make them good lines. My Godmother, Aunt Sharlene, told me when I was a young child that we were all going to get wrinkles someday, so she was working hard to make them smile lines. She is nearly 80 and yes, her face is permanently holding a smile. She, of course, has lines and wrinkles, but not a single frown line among them. That is my goal too! As 50 so quickly approaches, I look at my face and am reminded of years of love and laughter. Mostly good times, but difficult times as well. Laughing with my children and granddaughter.

Over the last 50 years, I have had the opportunity to grow to love some very amazing people. Although I won’t be able to spend my birthday with all of them, I will know that at least some of my fine lines hold a memory of laughter that we shared. Whether it be my family, church family, friends, or those I have known along the way, my heart holds them all so dear. I will spend my birthday this year making more memories too!

Quote

It Won’t Be The Easiest Birthday

As you may have read in my post on Giving Yourself a Break this Winter, my refrigerator has died. It will take a while to get it fixed or replaced so for my birthday I am giving myself a break and ordering Panda Express. LOL. No dishes, no refrigeration needed! Then we will have cake and settle in as a family to start watching the third season of the PBS show Victoria. I already know that is the birthday present my sister is giving me. It will be an awesome night and I am so thankful for yet another year.

I hope that your birthdays are for the most part good as well and that the good far outweighs the bad. My birthday wish for you is that as you age as we all do, that your lines will also be smile lines filled with love and laughter. Although I often talk about giving, as this is a giving blog, I realize this post is all about how others have given to me. And it is making me smile. I am so blessed. And I hope that you feel blessed as well. I would love to hear in the comments below about your best birthday memory from a day you felt truly celebrated.

Follow Me on Social Media

Remember to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, and subscribe to receive additional ideas on how to give your time, talents, and money to make the world a better place.