Barefoot in the Park Birthday

(Photo by David April)

Have you ever walked barefoot in the park, or just the grass outside, and let the cool seep in through the soles of your feet on a hot summer day?

Have you ever truly stopped to smell a rose?




Or dipped your toes in cool water?





Eaten watermelon for lunch?





Today's my 40th's birthday.

I've been asked these last few weeks to plan a celebration or allow my husband to surprise me, and I just couldn't. There were too many other events on the horizon . . . or at least that's what I told myself. I didn't think that 40 mattered that much to me, but suddenly it did.

It felt heavy. A day that full of weight, circumstance, and measure. I started to weight and measure the circumstances of my life and ask myself these kinds of questions: What had I done with my life that mattered, really? Had I succeeded, lost enough weight, measured up?

Until I woke at 3a.m. this morning and realized, I would rather walk barefoot in the park and smell the roses than measure my life's worth against some kind of crazy scale of worldly success.

That's never been me, so why would I think of doing that on my birthday?!

So today and tomorrow (I can't just celebrate once!) I'm going to walk barefoot in cool grass, eat watermelon for lunch, dip my toes in the ocean, smell roses, go for a walk, and spend some time on, near, and in the water.

If you would like to help me celebrate my birthday, I invite you to walk barefoot in the grass, eat watermelon, smell a rose, enjoy some water in a lake, ocean, or river. Enjoy life!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4