Family Birthday Party

A friend sent me a quote from one of my favorite writers, Thomas Merton. He said that Thomas Merton was born 98 years ago today” and gave this quote from him:

“If for some reason it were necessary for you to drink a pint of water taken out of the Mississippi River and you could choose where it was to be drawn out of the river — would you take a pint from the source of the river in Minnesota or from the estuary in New Orleans?”

I had to think awhile about the meeting of this quote for awhile. But realizing it was about birthdays I knew it was about the freshness and innocence of a baby over the age of death.

I was driving my friend Ella Brooks, patch quilt and corn muffin maker, somewhere today when she told me her birthday was today. She was 67, just three years younger than me.

I was reminded by one of my youngest adult friends today that tomorrow is his birthday and he will turn 50. I am not sure what other friends have birthday coming up soon but I know next week is the 43rd birthday of my son, David.

I guess everyday there are thousands and thousands of birthday in the USA and many more around the world. All of us loose a bit of our innocence as we grow older. It is the wise man, as Thomas Merton and many of my friends that substitute wisdom for innocence year after year.

My oldest friend is 92 and my youngest, in the adult world, around 18. We all have birthdays were we can be wiser or just older.

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