Dear June 21st,
For 38 years, I have been forced to sit through your interminable pomp and circumstance to reach my birthday.
June 21st! Summer solstice! Summer solstice! First official day of summer! Blah blah blah!
Well, whoop-dee-hella-do, Big Shot.
Not to mention Father’s Day often occupies your box on the calendar. I have some mixed emotions about Father’s Day, with its lawn mowers and home repairs and flags and polo shirts and intact families at the beach, tossing children into the J. Crew blue sky.
Rah rah! Aren’t you just a success, June 21st. Aren’t you JUST.
My birthday is the less exotic June 22nd. I didn’t slide out of my poor mother’s body into some stinkin’ holiday. Uh-uh. Nothing fancy about June 22, except that I share the birthdate with Meryl Streep and Cyndi Lauper, and 22 is supposed to be a major heavy in karma and numerology circles.
I am not turning 22, June 21st. That happened quite a while back, when my waist size was almost the same number.
I’ve had a lot of good birthdays, mostly a long time ago. I’ve had a lot of crap birthdays, especially in the second half of my life. I hate the pressure. I hate the fact that I’ve become someone who dreads her own birthday. That seems pompous and self-absorbed, the act of despising one’s own birthday. Narcissistic, and trendy. A terrible combo.
No telling how tomorrow will go. I’m sure I’ll be writing something or other in cranberry lipstick on the bathroom mirror. Hard to say which tally I’ll be hitting.
I have no choice but to muck through you and your damn solstice parties each year. And except for the fact that you’re my dear friend Janine’s birthday, I don’t really enjoy you. Thankfully, it’s now 11:11 pm, so I’m almost done with you, June 21st, and that’s something.
I have no plans for tomorrow, not for sure. I should get some ice cream. I should brush my hair. I should Be In The Moment, as much as possible. I am blessed to have cute kids who make me cards, and a mom who buys me flowers, and greetings from good friends.
(My box on the calendar is empty, but this year sure wasn’t. Thank you to all of you who saved my life—literally and figuratively—with your outpouring of love and care packages and wisdom. There should be a holiday for YOU.)
In fact, June 21st, since your dance card is full, I am hereby proposing that June 22nd be hereby known as the Day of the Kindness of Strangers, Almost-Strangers, Friends and Family. (I couldn’t have made it to 39 without you. Truly.)
I think, June 21st, that should be enough for any box on the calendar. Time to breathe in, and breathe out. Gratitude. Love. Chaos. That, and maybe some sushi.
See you next year, June 21st. Don’t let July hit you on the tush on the way out.
Sincerely,
Jenn M
{ 47 comments… read them below or add one }
Happy Birthday Gorgeous!
Happy Birthday! June 22 is a wonderful, glorious day. Who’d want to compete with the summer solstice anyway?
Popping out of lurk-dom to wish you a very Happy Birthday, fellow Grinnellian!
Here’s a stranger, kindly wishing you the best possible June 22.
it’s my mom’s b-day lol!
Happy Kindness of Strangers, Almost-Strangers, Friends and Family day! And a very happy birthday.
June 22nd in Croatia is “Anti-Fascist Struggle Day”
and in El Salvador it is “Teacher’s Day”
It was also the beginning of the June Days Uprising in 1848 France.
So, there you go, June 22 is something.
Happy Birthday
cheers, friend. here is hoping today is blissfully simple: icecream, cute kids, maybe a little sunshine.
well, happy day to you today. hope there’s cake and ice cream and lots of hugs.
I’m sure your mama would argue otherwise that June 22 is not just an empty box on the calender for her.
Sending you hugs, kisses and laughter your way today!
Happy Birthday sweet lady!
And to you my warrior friend,
I’ve heard that no matter which culture a woman is raised in or influenced by, she understands the words “wild” and “woman”
intuitively.
Live with intuition and intent today Birthday Warrior Wild Woman!
We are glad to have helped you in what ever small way we could.
With respect to your 39 th year of growth!
Love
rooooo
Happy Birthday internet friend. Woo! Here’s hoping you can find your way back to loving your birthday. Be kind to yourself today. Check your tip jar, buy ice cream!
June 22 will always be very special to me.
Love, Mom xo
Mark it as an achievement. No matter how much crap the world has tossed at you in the last year (and boy has there been a lot of it!), you’re still here, still standing, still surounded by your loved ones and your complete strangers who mean well.
I hereby proclaim June 22 is Jenn’s Survival Day! Please stand and give the woman a round of applause. She has earned it.
(and Happy Birthday, too)
June 22 is my mom’s b-day, too. It’s a special day.
Happy Birthday girlfriend!
Happy Happy Happiest Birthday to you, Jenn.
-Heidi
I hope the last half of your life — the one you’re just starting now — puts all other good times to shame. Of course, I sound as if I’m assuming you’ll be dropping dead at 78. So let’s say the last two-thirds of your life — the one you’re starting now. Wait, that means you’ll be, what, 117? Oh, screw it, I’ll just say, “Happy Birthday!”
Happy birthday! Ice cream sounds like an excellent idea.
happy birthday, sweetness.
Happy birthday! Have a great time, whatever you do!
Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo! But you don’t look like a monkey, you look gorgeous! Here’s to year 39!
I hope the tally ends up where it makes you smile.
Best wishes for a good year ahead, Jenn.
Wishing a happy day to you!
Happy Birthday! Two thoughts for you:
May you live all the days of your life.
- Jonathan Swift
Getting old ain’t for sissies.
- Betty Davis
Happy birthday! June 22 is actually much more exciting to those of us who can’t stand the heat and humidity of summer (perhaps I’m the only one). June 22 is the beginning of less of all that, and I love that date.
SUSHI!
Happy Birthday! Enjoy spending time with your wonderful family.
Take care, R. xx
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday to a woman of amazing courage, strength, wisdom, talent, and kindness. You are such a blessing.
Well, my bot was “aper”, so here’s apeing all the other good wishes coming your way today. Happy birthday, Jenn. You make the planet a better place.
I like the proposal a friend of mine made: anyone who has to wear the “Father” hat, whether part-time or full-time, gets to celebrate on Father’s Day. If that means you get a holiday for you two months in a row, more’s the better.
Good for you for staying in the batter’s box, in spite of getting hit with a whole mess of pitches. Happy Birthday, and best wishes for many more.
Happy Birthday to my fave blogger. Sorry I can’t send a present right now.
Happy Birthday. I have traveled down the road you are traveling and I wish I had some profound words of wisdom to offer, but I don’t. I can only say the road does get narrower. Don’t let the fear supersede the hope.
Now I have another reason to LOVE June!
Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday, Jenn, dear. the world became a better place when you were born.
Boatloads of virtual mac and cheese, hugs, and much love to you.
xoxoxoxo
Lorrian
Happy birthday, warrior queen.
Wishing you a happy, happy day and a magical year.
Happy (belated) birthday!
Happy Birthday! Wishing you a year of smiles and sunshine, Jenn.
My security code is PETA–so obviously you should have fun on your birthday, but remember that fly-swatting is not allowed.
happy birthday.
I’m late, but hoping it was a good day! *hugs*
happy birthday!
hearnin’ ya…
Mom: Aug. 15: Assumption (I was raised Catholic – who knew not everyone counted this as a holiday!?)
Dad: June 14: Flag Day (and frequently Father’s Day)
Brother: March 17. Seriously? Enough Said. He had a freakin’ shamrock on his receiving blanket.
Me: Nov. 4. Nada. until……..Obama’s election Day. (35 years later) Its all about Obama and Croatian Anti Fasciast Struggle Day.
Happy birthday. and hugs.
Happy birthday!
You’ll be pleased to know that nobody around here cares much about June 21. I didn’t even remember it was the solstice until my husband mentioned it. No parties, no pomp, no silly circumstance. You’re welcome.
Happy Birthday!
Please, please, pretty please read and reply to my emails about producing your Disney Princess scene in Boston. I have no pride, I am begging!! I sent a message to the JML at jennifermatter dot com address today.
I’ll make you a birthday cake if you come to Boston, really I will.
I am so late to wish you a happy birthday but consider it a late gift. Happy Birthday!
Belated Happy Birthday frd .. must be an awesome day of urs .. right?
anyways Enjoy