Your Own Hero

Last week I wrote about how, out of the blue, I woke up the other morning from a dream about my birth. Looking back on that now, it’s funny that this particular dream came to me just one week before my actual birthday, which is tomorrow.

Yes, tomorrow I celebrate my birthday, and as always, it’s got me thinking about where I’m at in my life. It’s also got me reflecting on life in general. It’s got me thinking about friends who didn't get to my age, and it's got me thinking about how to make the most of what's left of my own life.

It’s hard to feel celebratory with all that is going on in the world right now. You can't watch the news these days and not ponder the disparities of life. When I was growing up, my mother would tape pictures of children starving in Biafra onto our dining room walls so my brothers and I wouldn’t take our food for granted. She also put a box of money in the middle of the table—money she said she would be sending overseas instead of spending it on our dinner that night. My mother was trying to make a point and teach us a lesson about gratitude, but if I’m being honest, most nights she just made me feel guilty.