Happy Birthday, John

It’s my husband’s birthday. John hits the big 5-0 today. Been there. Done that. It’s no big deal. What I mean is, sure, hitting 50 is a milestone, but, I think it’s for the best. You realize there’s a whole lot going on in the world that doesn’t matter. You realize that those you love deserve your very best. When you step into the house after work, you know you can relax, be yourself, and be loved.

John’s home this week on vacation and he’s vowed to get things done. I’m not holding his feet to the fire. He’s really going great guns. In fact, he’s herded Kid1&2 into his whirlwind and so far we have two sets of shelves built, primed, and ready for paint. They’ll go into Kid2’s room. We are hopeful the organization bug will kick in.

We celebrated his birthday and Kid2’s birthday this past Sunday with family at my in-laws. Kid2 is now 11. She’s having to step up more and more. She wants to be the little kid and she wants to be the big kid and we’re demanding that she give up collapsing into rubber chicken mode every time we ask her to step up. She’s building a spine, one vertebra at a time.

The other day the four of us were in the same room in the house, having a nice conversation. I thought to myself, “WOW! Look at us! All in the same room at the same time having a nice conversation!” Then Kid1 mentioned it and it nearly dissipated. I expect these moments to linger longer now that the girls are growing up. Too often they would recede when one felt slighted by the other. We do have our share of drama queens.

John is well liked and admired and I am happy to be his wife. We’re comfortable with each other, we mostly have fun, our arguments are exciting for the neighbors, and I sometimes wonder how I could get by without his support when I come home from work frustrated, or when the kids are hissing at each other all evening like cats.

Last night as I was getting ready for bed he reminded me to wrap the ice pack around my knee. I complained about these bones of mine and told him how I keep waiting to be young again. Isn’t that funny? He got me on my bike to help me stay active. I started running with him because he wanted to be that guy who runs with his wife. He comes with me to my swims and triathlons because he thinks it’s pretty cool to have a wife who tries.

I think we do these things so we can have more birthdays together and we just might get to see grandchildren! That’s a long way off. But time flies and life is fleeting. Best to savor each moment. Happy Birthday, John!