Today is my mother’s 80th birthday. She probably doesn’t appreciate me telling the world that she’s turning 80 today, but I find the idea of aging and living a great number of years to be wonderful. Have you y’all watched Soul yet? It truly is a work of art and shows the beauty of living. That movie and I share a life philosophy. Each year, your life fills up with something wondrous and by the time you’ve come to the last year of life, you can look back and say ‘Wow!’ Every year you survive is a year worth celebrating.

The year my mother was born, the US had not yet entered World War II. During the month she was born, Franklin D Roosevelt was sworn into his third term as President of the United States. Starting on January 13th, all persons born in Puerto Rico are considered US citizens by birth. On January 23rd, Charles Lindbergh tells Congress that the US should negotiate a neutrality pact with Hitler. On January 27th, The US Ambassador to Japan tells Washington that there’s a rumor of a planned surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. A lot happens in that first year of my mother’s life. Captain America and Wonder Woman make their comic debuts. Joe DiMaggio starts his 56 game hitting streak in May against the Chicago White Sox. The Mammoth Caves become an official National Park and Roosevelt signs an order to make every fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day. Walt Disney would release Dumbo, it’s fourth animated feature. That rumored attack on Pearl Harbor would happen in December, near the end of the year, and catapult the US into World War II.

All of that was just one year. Just think about all of the stuff that has happened between then and now. All the amazing discoveries and art and music and culture. My mother has been alive for all of it and is still well and kicking enough to see and experience so much more. Her life is so full and yet there’s still room for more. This is what I want for myself. I want a life so full that by the time I get to the end, my body can no longer contain the fullness of my soul. Of course, we are not under ideal circumstances to celebrate my mother properly. We’re going to do the best we can without exposing her or others to COVID. Hopefully this time next year, we can have a big Happy 81st Birthday party or I can take Mom on a trip. Something non-virtual. It doesn’t matter to me how we celebrate Mom’s birthday this year. I am just grateful that we get to celebrate another year of her life. I know how fortunate I am to still have her with us.

Happy Birthday Mom!