Thursday, February 08, 2007

I am the wealthy one

The rain fell softly on and off all day. Tomorrow is my birthday, always a time of reckoning in some way or another. I’m tender from my visit with my mother and maybe from other things as well. If reading poetry is like a massage to the soul, then I’ve been getting spa soul treatment since Brigid. My love affair is turning into a comfortable relationship, something which is making me rather uncomfortable. Isn’t it dangerous to be so happy?

And then there are my friends. Yesterday and today there was a variety of calls and e-mails from and to my friends. Some were checking up on me, some I was checking up with. Nothing really out of the ordinary, but in my tender state, with my pores wide open from the soul spa treatment, I realized how rich I am, how wealthy in friends. Even writing this, I’m tearing up. I love my friends and I know they love me.

Tonight, my son is up in our attic, with a group of his friends. I can hear their laughter as I write this, and the house is swollen with adolescent energies. He is rich too, being blessed with a best friend since the age of three. They have no school tomorrow, so his best friend will spend the night and I know they will go over every detail of the get together this evening, there are girls here, after all, and tomorrow they may or may not get up in time to fix me a birthday breakfast.

I am rich in friends, and I love them and they love me. It may be dangerous to love, but right now, thinking of these friendships, I think perhaps it’s even more dangerous not to love, not to embrace happiness. I am rich, and thank goddess, I know it.

11 comments:

Aquila ka Hecate said...

Happy Birthday!
(It's Friday 9th here already).
I hope your day is wonderful.

But you're right-about loving.
It can hurt to hel, but there's never a chance that we'd skip it because of that.
Most of us, at least.
Love,
Terri in Joburg
Rich in Blessings herself

Anonymous said...

happy birthday, deborah

it just keeps getting better and better...

everything is beautiful

yours, J

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday....
have a magical day, month, year....
my niece Georgia aged two today, shares the day.....

Reya Mellicker said...

Everything is dangerous, including love. And Deborah, happiness is a GOOD THING. Bravo!! You and j are both very lucky people. (cheering crowds, confetti)

Many many many happy returns of today! I'm very glad you were born, and so glad you're blogging these days. Yay!!

Moonroot said...

Happy Birthday! Thanks for visiting the new blog. I will link to you too if that's OK.
Love from someone else who loves you,
Moonroot

Lyra said...

Happy Birthday Deborah! I love you more than should be allowed. Everyone in Chicago is grumpy because I talk about San Francisco too much, and I drop your name like rain drops water.
I hope this year is even better than the last. I can't wait to see you next weekend.
-Lyra

Anonymous said...

I've got to share that quote by Helen Mirren again--it deserves wide circulation! This is from a New Yorker article last fall:

"There is that awful moment when you realize that you're falling in love," she said. "That should be the most joyful moment, and actually it's not. It's always a moment that's full of fear because you know, as night follows day, the joy is going to rapidly be followed by some pain or other. All the angst of a relationship. You go, 'Oh, no. Please, no.' You go, 'Yes, I'm in love. No, I'm in love.'"

Anonymous said...

Everything has a price tag, but in the case of great love, it's worth it.

Kim said...

Happy Birthday! It is the day after yours, the day before mine, and I agree, I am also rich in friends. I loved your post. You put it all so eloquently.

Mama Kelly said...

Happy Birthday
and
Many Blessings

Mama Kelly

Anonymous said...

I'm late, as usual... but I've been thinking of you a lot in the last couple of weeks.

You are blessed, and so are the people around you.

love to you.