I turned 41 today, which in some ways means nothing. I'm still the same person I was yesterday, and the same person I will be tomorrow. Despite this, I'm sometimes tempted to impose temporal boundaries on my existence. I note the passing of birthdays, and the changing of one calendar year to the next, even though the changing seasons, with their attendant equinoxes and solstices, are important on a deeper level.
Still, it's my birthday, and I'm glad. I spent the first few minutes of it cleaning up vomit, and several hours later, being overwhelmed by the stinky mess glopping up the floor in the boys' bathroom. This was followed by a sweet moment when the whole camp sang "hoppy birdy" to me (that would be the science camp version of "happy birthday", in case you hadn't figured it out). Later, the second graders I student teach sang the more traditional version.
Since then, I've been alone at home, being kept company by an influx of birthday wishes via Facebook. A bit different from past birthdays, to be sure, but this year has been all about change, so I must embrace it and look forward to another year during which more changes will happen.
Still, I'm glad to put this year of my existence behind me, and I'll be equally glad when the calendar year changes. Sometimes I need arbitrariness to help adjust my attitude. It helps somehow.
Currently listening to Last FM again, on shuffle.
2 comments:
Happy birthday! I feel pleased to have happened by today to catch up. I'm not a Facebooker, so I will leave my message here.
Reading your writing is such a barrage of parallels for me, that I am compelled to tell you about the birthday practice in my second grade classroom.
We circle around the birthday person and sing the song that follows below. Three evenly spaced kids keep the steady beat on large handmade drums. The birthday person sits in the center as we circle around singing and dancing. The song ends with a celebratory rumble of uncontained drumming and clapping (and laughing!). It is screamingly joyful, organic and genuine. So here is your song today:
John was born in the circle of the sun,
Circle of the sun on his birthin' day.
Clouds to the north,
Clouds to the south,
Rain to the east and rain to the west.
John was born in the circle of the sun,
Circle of the sun on his birthin' day.
The ritual ends with a class meeting of sorts. A candle is lit and a wish given... one by one around the circle as a rock is passed.
It is a morph of my backgrounds (Waldorf,Unitarian/Naturalist), but it quickly belongs to the children. I believe all children are inherently Unitarian naturalists, really! While you may not be familiar with the Waldorf approach to education or Unitarianism, my sense tells me that you would infer.
So my wish for you 41 years from your birthin'day is that just soon enough the joy will take you over again.
Happy BIRTH day!
Be well.
~Lorelei
Thanks Lorelei!
Your comment is one of the sweetest gifts I got for my birthday this year. I do know a bit about Waldorf and Unitarianism, and vicariously appreciate both!
The kids in your classroom are lucky indeed!
all the best,
John
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