Remember to be thankful for birthdays

I love birthdays!
As a child, cards would appear as if by magic in a pile with presents at the breakfast table, when I went downstairs bleary eyed at the start of a new day.
My birthday. I gradually realised, over the years, that my parents had been secretly squirreling the cards away from the pile of post arriving each day for the preceding days and weeks before my big day. Cards were then ceremoniously opened, read, admired and shared, before being put on the shelf on the kitchen for all visitors to admire. They were then left up on display in the kitchen until the next member of the family had a birthday. My Mum then stuck all my cards into a big scrapbook, which I still have, until my teenage years. As an adult, I now save all the obvious looking cards and packages until the big day and it is always very special to open them on my birthday. This year, I got a somewhat surprising amount of birthday cards featuring cats! Some things never change!
I am thankful for my birthday, for my Mother who chose to give me life and for my amazing family and friends who I celebrate my birthday with each year. A few years ago a friend told me that Psalm 139 is known as the birthday Psalm in his family.They would sit and light a birthdya candle and then read this together. Since he told me of this, I now especially read this Psalm on my birthday too. Thanks, Wade. But today is not my birthday. It is my friend Rachel's.
Happy Birthday Rachel!
Thank you for being my friend and I really hope you enjoy your special day. I wonder how you will celebrate your day? I expect that we, groovy girlie cake chicks, will hear about your day on Thursday? Hope so.
Jen, me and Rachel, the birthday girl!