Serious fans of “the West Wing” will get the reference!
This evening, I’ve spent time writing (among other things) three birthday cards. They are all for choristers, none of whom I know particularly well, but all of whom I admire for various reasons.
Here’s the thing about birthday cards, though. It’s a little bit too easy to just write a generic sort of message. Have a great day and best wishes for the year ahead. I figure that there’s not really much point in that, even if the wish is genuine. So I try to write something nice about the person. What I admire about them. Why I value them. I guess it makes them feel good. But also, it’s good for me. It’s good for me to think about the blessings I’m surrounded by. The people I don’t know well but who bless me with their presence. I value his gentleness, how caring he is, how he is genuinely interested in everyone. I value her sense of humour, her dry self-deprecating wit, her open friendliness. I value her vibrancy and vividness.
It’s such a little thing, a birthday card. And perhaps these three people don’t really care about what I think, will just be happy to get another card for their birthday. But tonight I will go to bed just a little more aware of the wonderful people I’m surrounded by. Just a little more aware of how blessed I am in knowing these gentle, caring, funny, vibrant people. Just a little more grateful.
naomijjohnson 