Wear Pearls

Let's take a true/false quiz on the answers to the following questions....

"What do you want to do for your birthday?"
"I don't care."  True_____ False______

"What do you want for your birthday?"
"You don't have to give me anything." True____False_____

How'd you do?

Those are indeed the answers I gave in the days and weeks leading up to my birthday.

I remember when the children were small and people would ask me what I was doing for my birthday. My response would always be, "Well, I guess I'll change some diapers, fix some snacks, kiss some boo-boo's; you know just another day." The truth (and I do mean this) was it really was what I wanted to do. I loved my life on Muscat Ct (and Williamsburg Rd. and Heron Hill Ct. and Dog Lane--you get the picture.) I remember thinking at the time, that's just the way adult birthdays are.

And then yesterday/the day came...

I was and am overwhelmed by the number of facebook messages, texts, calls, cards (which had a common theme) and emails I received. I haven't responded to them all yet but I will.

But it wasn't just yesterday.

Sunday morning I woke up feeling really yucky--I have been struggling with the beginnings of a bad cold and

Sunday morning I knew I was losing. (Not good when you're clergy). I arrived at church and found a gorgeous arrangement on the altar given by Chris and the children--and it was orange and blue! As opposed to last year when I was counting down the 50 for 50 I really didn't know if anyone at church knew it was my birthday. "Guess they will now." I thought.

Between services I laid on my couch wrapped in a blanket waiting for the advil to kick in. As people passed the office they poked their head in and poked fun at me (it was a Southern Comfort blanket), but no one said a word about my birthday. The truth (and again I do mean it) was I didn't even think about it.

During the 10 am service I was a bit fuzzy and definitely worried about getting someone sick, so I asked one of my lay eucharistic ministers to administer the paten and I would take the chalice. During this time there were two or three women I distinctly remember thinking, "Those are really pretty pearls. I don't think I've ever seen her wear them." Just a passing thought.

Following the service, I went down the stairs from the nave (Episcospeak for the main part of the

She's so clever!

church) into the narthex (lobby), very few people followed. Actually now that I think about it, only some men came down. I was busy talking (shocking) when suddenly I heard a hum. I looked up and there were oodles of people gathered on the stairs, they began singing, I tried to get them to stop (I know it's hard to believe but I really don't like attention). They didn't stop, and as I watched them with tears in my eyes, I noticed all the women had on pearls. They finished and one lady said, 'We've been planning this. I even put a cryptic facebook post on this weekend to remind people." I laughed and cried and felt not only loved but understood and accepted.

As I walked into Robison Hall for coffee hour I heard a beautiful bass voice bellow, "The Lord be with you." I stopped and responded with everyone else, "And also with you." I was pretty sure he was going to announce one of the announcements I had forgotten--remember that fuzzy mind. Instead he walked over to me with another beautiful soul. He put his arm around me and she put her hand on my back. "Katherine," he said, "You pray this for us all the time and now we are going to pray for you."

O God, our times are in your hand: Look with favor, we

pray, on your servant Katherine as she begins another year. Grant

that she may grow in wisdom and grace, and strengthen her

trust in your goodness all the days of her life; through Jesus

Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP p. 830)

Again I was overwhelmed and again didn't want the attention, but I was filled with love.

So, here's how I would have answered the quiz, and I was serious--not a martyr. I fully believed my answers.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?"

"I don't care."  True___X__ False______

"What do you want for your birthday?" 

"You don't have to give me anything." True__X__False_____

I didn't know what I wanted for my birthday; I didn't think I cared. But others did. I received beautiful gifts, cards, and messages. But most importantly, through these messages and in many other ways, I was given the gift of being reminded that I matter, that I'm loved, and that I belong.

And those diapers I changed, those snacks I fixed, those boo-boo's I kissed--they reminded me too.