Happy (belated) birthday, Sulienne

January 19, 2009 by Barbara.

I started this message Friday the 16th, on the morning of Sulienne’s birthday, truly I did. At the time I was hoping we’d hit the predicted high of minus 25 in honour of her milestone birthday. We talked about what a special day it was at breakfast that day and Reid decided to sing a special birthday song to Sulienne that went like this:

Happy Wormday to you,
Happy Wormday to you,
Happy Wormday, dear Mud,
Happy Wormday to you.

I was hoping that she would have forgotten this song by Friday night. Unfortunately, by the time Ken and Reid got back from Reid’s swimming lessons, we had no time for anything but a fast supper and bed. It would have better that she sang the song promptly than me ending up nearly a week late with this birthday greeting don’t you think?

Twenty-five is such a big birthday, it seems to be wrong of me to miss it entirely. It’s exciting to be a quarter of a century old. It’s a bit scary to be 25 and almost done university, as Sulienne is, and as I was. It’s more than a little tense to be 25 and almost done university when the government and businesses aren’t hiring (also like when I finished). But there’s good news, because this belated birthday message isn’t intended to rain on Sulienne’s parade.

25 is a great age to be a strong, smart woman. Sulienne is at just the right age - she has the right amount education and experience to balance against youth and enthusiasm. My birthday advice for this big year follows:
* Have a great time on your field trip course. It might turn you toward a career or help you know you don’t want to do. Or maybe it’ll just be fun.
* Accept that don’t have to know what you’re going to do for the rest of your or where you’re going to do it. I didn’t and everything has worked out for me. I still don’t know exactly what I’ll do for the rest of my life, though I know with whom I’ll be doing it so that’s good.
* This is a good time to try things that are outside of your comfort zone. You’re not old enough to be stuck in your ways, yet, but not dumb things, eh? You’re too old for dangerous chances.
* Take time to be with your parents. It’s good to keep those ties strong. You’ll need them for a long time, for the ups and downs.
* Find time for your friends, cousins and siblings. You don’t have to *do* things with them, just *be* with them. (This is a lesson that I’m still working on. I didn’t say that it would be easy ;+)
* Find time for yourself, even when life is hectic, or especially then. Being an amazing woman, takes effort and effort needs energy.
* Enjoy this year. Use it to set a good pattern for the rest of your adult years.

Happy belated birthday from all of your Ottawa relatives!

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