Octogenarian Celebration

Larry and I had the pleasure of attending the 80th birthday parties of two of our neighbors over the weekend, one on Saturday afternoon, the other on Sunday afternoon.  Both Roger and Marilyn are wonderful people who contribute so much to the life of our neighborhood.  Attending their birthday celebrations reminded me of the importance of family (four generations celebrating together, in the cases of Roger and Marilyn) and how much there is to cherish and enjoy with each passing decade of our lives.  I recalled my mom's 80th birthday party five years ago.  Every five years, beginning when she was 65, I threw some sort of birthday bash for Mom, usually in the form of a luncheon with her many, many close friends.  The last such party was a two-day affair, a lunch with family and friends one day, followed by cake and punch at the apartment complex where she lived the next day.  Our good friend Chris sent Mom a surprise birthday gift to wear at her parties -- a billowy, bright fuchsia feather boa!  Mom had a great sense of humor so she flounced around at her celebrations with her boa, making every moment perfect for a picture (I have the photos to prove it!).  I'm thankful to these wonderful 80-year-olds for demonstrating for those of us younger the joys of living a long life.