Celebrating 68 Years On Earth

As I approach 68 years on this earth, on the 3rd, I am reminded of the joy I get out of life. The joy I get out of being with family and friends.

Life was not always that way for me. If you asked me in my teens, I thought I would never see 21. (To quote a book of my youth, to “die young and leave a good-looking corpse.”)

But here I am.

For years, if I celebrated my birthday, it was about me. At this stage of my life, it is about others.

I wrote this 10 years ago.

As I mark 58 years today, I think back to a time where I was pretty convinced I would not see another. This year my birthday will be celebrated on the 3rd with friends and family at a baseball game and fireworks. Like most years I catch fireworks. And then this weekend is the big party.

I was born in what was called Grace-New Haven in New Haven Connecticut. My parents lived on Orange Street in New Haven on a 3rd floor apartment. A few years later they moved to Raymond Court. And just a few years later they moved to Old Turnpike Road in Northford Connecticut. My dad was a timekeeper at Sargent’s in New Haven and my mom with her Masters in hand began teaching in Foxon.

Many of my summers were spent on lakes in the Adirondacks. Schroon Lake, Indian Lake, Lake George. One summer I celebrated with friends like Donald Jones, Gary Gilbert and my family by going to Powers Pond (Blueberry Hill) in Wallingford and paddle boating! Other times Frontier Town, Santa’s Land and Ausable Chasm.

So here I am readying to celebrate with friends and family this weekend. My youngest grandchild will join us. I am looking forward to it. As I looked at pictures of previous birthdays and friends, I am so grateful for all of those I have connected with.

Lee and Jacob in Virginia

This all began in the 90s when I told my wife that I wanted a party. Tons of folks, and family members, showed up and the highlight was a water fight, right up to pans full of water being poured on one another.

Then it was in our church building. Including her “blindfolding” me and driving all the back roads to confuse me.

When we purchased our home, and my wife heard me making arrangements for Port-a-Potties, she told me that was not happening. Over the next few years, the party moved to the rental of a gazebo in an area state park. People from all over New England, NY, Washington, and even Belize, Africa, and Europe. (This year I hear the furthest might be from Florida.) When we moved it was a large affair right up until the pandemic.

This year, we have a gazebo and lots of folks joining us. My wife purchased all the paper goods, charcoal, boxes of meat and more.

I am looking forward to seeing friends and family. It is about seeing people I don’t see a lot. It is about a sense of community. (Over the last 25 years, there have been over 2,000 people at the party. The record was 135 people)

And it has to do with one of my core values. Love!

#loveneverfails