Brad Hall: HALL THINGS CONSIDERED: Celebrating an 8-month birthday and a 444-month birthday
Mar. 7—Over the next four days, we will be celebrating a couple of birthdays in the Hall family.
Our baby boy Jaxson will be turning 8 months old while I'll be turning 444 months old. I'll let you do the math if you really wish to know my age.
We've got a full weekend of plans lined up and I'm definitely excited to celebrate.
On Friday, which is my actual birthday, Carmen will be taking me out to eat at one of our fine local restaurants here in Corbin.
On Saturday, we plan to spend the day at my mom's house, and it will be an extra special visit. We'll be bringing Jaxson along so that he can hang out with his grandmother, but also so that he can meet his great-grandmother for the very first time.
On Sunday, we'll be visiting my mother-in-law's house as she plans to cook up a nice belated birthday meal.
And then Monday, which is the day Jaxson will be turning 8 months old, will be acknowledged by lots of photos and probably a few videos of our baby to remember what he looked like at this early stage in his life.
When I was growing up, I definitely got excited to celebrate my birthday each year. It usually involved presents and at least a small party of friends and family.
My earlier birthdays were really neat because I actually shared the same exact birthday as my great-grandfather. So we would always mark the occasion with a double cake at my great-grandparents' house.
Other birthdays involved pizza parties, sleepovers, and even a surprise 18th birthday party my parents threw for me at the bowling alley.
As the days go by, and as you progress further into your adult years, birthdays often become a source of dread for many people. It can symbolize the fact that you're getting older which can be depressing for some folks.
So far, I haven't let it get me down just yet. I suppose I'm still relatively young, but even so, I know many people who were sad turning 30 and even sadder as they approach 40. But I always just look forward to spending the occasion with my family and using it as a chance to have some quality time with them.
To the extent that anything bothers me, it's just the little facts like my high school graduation was nearly 20 years ago now, and the 1990s were three decades ago. Those types of thoughts can really leave you floored if you dwell on them long enough.
However, as birthdays and milestones approach, I prefer to think of them more as blessings from God above anything else. This is especially true now that I have a son who I hope I'll get to share many birthdays and milestones with.
I don't take it for granted that I've been fortunate enough to live this long. And I don't plan on taking for granted the future birthdays I'll get to share with Jaxson, however many that might be.
On top of all of that, we can use our birthdays to remind ourselves of God's faithfulness.
God was there for us before we were even born and then on into our youth. He's there for us when we become adults and remains here for us today.
Numbers 6:24-26 says, "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."
So if the years passing you by start to depress you, I urge you to start looking at it differently. Don't think of it as another year older. Instead, think of it as another year that God has blessed you with and another year that God has been there for you.
