July 30, 2009
Yesterday was my birthday and it was just about the most perfect birthday I’ve ever had!  As you know, I’ve been in Ann Arbor all week on retreat with my guru, Gelek Rimpoche.  So my day started with a phone call from my husband who sang Happy Birthday to me like a Drepung monk.    For some reason this summer, Rimpoche gave me the job of making announcements, so three times a day I’ve gotten up in front of the group and told them what’s coming, etc.  Yesterday at the end of the announcements, Rimpoche said, “Today is someone’s birthday…”  and then the side door to the shrine room opened and Rochelle said, “we don’t want anyone to feel special so we invite all Leos and Cancers to come up to the front.”  Lots of my buddies popped up and two cakes with candles were brought in made by Colleen, Rimpoche’s wife and amazing chef.  We all made a wish and then waved our hands to extinguish the candles.  (no blowing, please!)  (check out my Facebook page to see the picture of that.) Then Rimpoche said that he had a gift for me as a thank you for doing a yoga and meditation benefit, along with David last March here at JH.  Then he called me over and put a long yellow scarf around my head, wrapping it around my neck twice and then a big hug.  Then Uyjenla handed me a tanghka.  It was this beautiful White Tara above. Later that day I got a phone call from my most favorite ex-boyfriend, Michael Holly.  (You can read about him in a recent post about Washington Square Park.)  It was so sweet of him to remember me.  It’s been 33 years since we first met in college outside his trailer, the yellow submarine. That evening, my dharma sisters, Carol Corcoran and Deanna Rose and Saara Cohen took me out to dinner and we had Prosecco - woo hoo!  All in all, a beautiful day and I felt the love.   The last two birthdays have not been so joyful.  Two years ago my mom had a stroke and was diagnosed with Parkinsons’ on my birthday and then last year was the first year ever in my life that she just didn’t know it was my birthday.  She can’t help it but it was so deeply sad to me to feel the loss of that connection.  I am an only child and my mother would never forget my birthday.  This year I called her and I told her it was my birthday and she was so sorry that she hadn’t been able to get me a card or gift. But I said, “I don’t care about that.  I’m just happy to talk with you.” And I told her how grateful I was to her because she made me and she said, “That was the best thing I ever did.”  After I hung up I cried for a long time.  Even though my mom’s mind is different, she is still so good and kind and I am lucky to have such a great and loving person for a mom.   So it was a great birthday.  Thanks so much to all of you who sent me good wishes on my Facebook page — and check out the birthday cake picture on my wall. 

Yesterday was my birthday and it was just about the most perfect birthday I’ve ever had!  As you know, I’ve been in Ann Arbor all week on retreat with my guru, Gelek Rimpoche.  So my day started with a phone call from my husband who sang Happy Birthday to me like a Drepung monk.   

For some reason this summer, Rimpoche gave me the job of making announcements, so three times a day I’ve gotten up in front of the group and told them what’s coming, etc.  Yesterday at the end of the announcements, Rimpoche said, “Today is someone’s birthday…”  and then the side door to the shrine room opened and Rochelle said, “we don’t want anyone to feel special so we invite all Leos and Cancers to come up to the front.”  Lots of my buddies popped up and two cakes with candles were brought in made by Colleen, Rimpoche’s wife and amazing chef.  We all made a wish and then waved our hands to extinguish the candles.  (no blowing, please!)  (check out my Facebook page to see the picture of that.)

Then Rimpoche said that he had a gift for me as a thank you for doing a yoga and meditation benefit, along with David last March here at JH.  Then he called me over and put a long yellow scarf around my head, wrapping it around my neck twice and then a big hug.  Then Uyjenla handed me a tanghka.  It was this beautiful White Tara above.

Later that day I got a phone call from my most favorite ex-boyfriend, Michael Holly.  (You can read about him in a recent post about Washington Square Park.)  It was so sweet of him to remember me.  It’s been 33 years since we first met in college outside his trailer, the yellow submarine.

That evening, my dharma sisters, Carol Corcoran and Deanna Rose and Saara Cohen took me out to dinner and we had Prosecco - woo hoo!  All in all, a beautiful day and I felt the love.  

The last two birthdays have not been so joyful.  Two years ago my mom had a stroke and was diagnosed with Parkinsons’ on my birthday and then last year was the first year ever in my life that she just didn’t know it was my birthday.  She can’t help it but it was so deeply sad to me to feel the loss of that connection.  I am an only child and my mother would never forget my birthday.  This year I called her and I told her it was my birthday and she was so sorry that she hadn’t been able to get me a card or gift. But I said, “I don’t care about that.  I’m just happy to talk with you.” And I told her how grateful I was to her because she made me and she said, “That was the best thing I ever did.”  After I hung up I cried for a long time.  Even though my mom’s mind is different, she is still so good and kind and I am lucky to have such a great and loving person for a mom.  

So it was a great birthday.  Thanks so much to all of you who sent me good wishes on my Facebook page — and check out the birthday cake picture on my wall. 

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