57 Is the New 30 and Other Birthday Messages
57 is the new 30. I have that on good authority. That is, if you consider Hallmark Cards to be a good authority. Which I certainly do. Because my husband gave me a Hallmark Cardon my 57th birthday a week ago, and it said the following:
Thirty
in great big letters. And I mean great big.
Inside it said:
Thirty is an attitude.
It says you know what
you’re doing and you’ve
got what it takes to get
where you’re going.
Welcome to prime time!
The man of steel added the words “Happy Birthday” and signed his name.
Well, boy howdy, that card made my day! If thirty is an attitude, then here’s my attitude:
57 is the new 30, and I’ve got 30 covered for at least 30 more years.
I didn’t expect any birthday card to top that one. Especially not one from Mom. Mainly because I’m the one who takes her shopping for cards for kids and grandkids. Depending how energetic she feels, which is usually not at all, she puts little or very little thought into choosing meaningful cards. On higher energy days she chooses cards big on puns and cartoon drawings. On low energy days, she grabs any old card and heads to the register. So I really wasn’t expecting much from her card.
Until I opened it and studied the stylized drawing of flowers and a bird, then opened it and read these words:
Daughter…
When you were young,
you’d get a little scuffed up.
And it was hard to let you
experience the parts of life
I wished I could just love away.
But you were even stronger than I knew.
Soon I was kissing fewer boo-boos,
wiping fewer tears.
And before I knew it,
you’d grown a thick layer of
“mama, I’m gonna be fine.”
And you were.
And you are.
Happy Birthday
She signed the card “Love, Mom” with handwriting significantly shakier than just a year ago.
Now, here’s the deal.
If she chose the card on a low energy day, I just happened to win the pull-the-card-from-the-closest slot lottery. But if she chose it on a higher energy day, perhaps the sentiments resonated with her and she chose it on person. I choose to believe in the second scenario.
Because I am the woman with the 57-is-the-new-30 attitude.
And women that young still cry when their moms give them a card that touches the heart.
At least, this 30-year-old does.
Photo credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net
