Happy Birthday to me

On this day I complete my 49th year. So as the beginning of my 50th winds up, I find myself thinking of the four times in my life when I was truly, amazingly, surprised.

The first was when I was reunited with my mother in New York after she finally brought us up from Jamaica. I didn't recognize her. Totally didn't.

The second was when my German-Jewish friend Terry -- of fond and loving and wonderful memory-- who was gay and who at age 27 had gone gray from the debauched drug-taking partying life he was living showed me in a very strange and beautiful way that he had been in love with me for the four yeas we were in college together.

The third was when I was given the diagnosis for our second son of autism. Talk about life as an unplanned journey.

And the fourth surprise is that I have lived to see 49 years.

All is well here, don't get me wrong. God is good. Trying to stick to a very rigid diet. Aaaargh. But I sleep better when I do. Much mid-life crisis regret about health, life, child's health, but I feel God is telling me to endure and to expect great things. So am trying to understand Jesus and God as restorers. . . that perhaps life for me in my latter end will be better than it's been the past 49 years. Tough to learn to look at hope when life has been such a trial for so long. But I'm growing in my knowledge of how truly great and loving God is. I hope to have a fifth surprise: to live to age 115. Healthy, happy, wealthy, wise. Will see. -C