On Birthdays   Your birthday is the day you enter planet Earth, which calls for a celebration on that day and every year after until you pass away. Even after that, you may be remembered on your birthday. As children, most of us love birthdays. Our birthdays are usually marked by new clothes, a slew of greetings, a big fat cake, a party, and many presents. My mom usually baked a big fat birthday cake for me and tailored a new dress. I began my day by visiting church wearing my new dress and then carrying a bag of candy to school to distribute among classmates and teachers. The class joyfully sang the “Happy Birthday” song, and I enjoyed every moment of the celebration. My favourites were cooked lovingly by Mom, or we went out to eat. Over the years, I did have the occasional party, which was always great fun. With advancing age, quieter celebrations with family and close friends or perhaps a trip may become the norm. Then, there are milestone birthdays that mark sign...

    I recently celebrated my sixtieth birthday with some excitement and trepidation. It is a significant milestone and I am amazed by the swift passage of time.  As I begin a new chapter in my life, I’m given to reflection, introspection and gratitude.  Chronologically, I am sixty and grey-haired but I don’t feel sixty, except when that little voice in my head says to me, “Remember you are a little beyond middle-aged”. A cousin lightheartedly reminds me to avail myself of senior citizen discounts and bank interest rates. That will take some time to get used to. I ‘m enjoying that unique sense of freedom that comes with age. My Thoughts:   Reflection and Introspection : I look back on the life I lived,  the challenges I ‘ve overcome, the friends I made, the friends I’ve lost or drifted apart from, my thoughts, actions and reactions during each stage of life, the joys and sorrows experienced and the lessons I ‘ve learned.   Wisdom: Six dec...