Turning 40

Dear Friends in Christ -

My husband, Ed, turns 40 today. It's one of those "milestone" birthdays. For Ed (and for me two years ago, when I turned 40), it's an occasion for reflection. How many of our goals for life have we met? Which ones still lie ahead? Ed and I can easily fall prey to the temptation to take ourselves too seriously at times like this.

So leave it to my almost-90-year-old grandmother to lighten the day. My grandmother's been sick, so I called her in her hospital room today. She sounded perkier than I expected, for which I was thankful. As we chatted, I mentioned that it was Ed's 40th birthday. She said, with a girlish giggle in her voice, "Please tell him for me - 'Wow, that's really old.'"

Perspective. It's one of the greatest gifts we can receive. Life is short. Life is good. Life is a gift - a gift that multiplies as we share it.

With thanksgiving for my beloved husband on his birthday,
faithfully,
Janet+