By Pattie Mihalik

newsgirl@comcast.net

When I went for my morning walk last week, I thought it was an absolutely beautiful day for a birthday.

I liked the fact it was sunny and warm but still offered soft breezes to make it feel like a perfect day for a birthday.

But as soon as I had that thought I realized EVERY day is a perfect day for a birthday. It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or rainy. If it’s your birthday, the day is special for you. At least that’s the way it is for me.

There is another truth that dawns on us when we reach a certain age: Every single day is both beautiful and special because we realize that day is a gift for us to enjoy.

As I was walking back from my early morning walk I saw my next-door neighbor leaving for work. I greeted him by saying what a beautiful day it was to enjoy life.

“It’s just another day,” he grumbled.

My neighbor is a renowned chef who works hard almost every day of the week. For him, the day becomes beautiful only when he gets a rare day off to actually enjoy being out in the sunshine.

Regardless of weather or personal circumstances, I have always believed every birthday was special. Didn’t matter if it was pouring rain or if I had to work all day.

The day would be special because I would make it special. That is one resolve I’ve always kept.

For the past 10 years David and I cook up something special for our birthdays. Mostly, that means going away for two or three days to a new kayak and biking destination.

We put a lot of time and effort into finding a new area we might like and then planning a special trip for the birthday celebrant.

This year we decided we were going to Fort DeSoto in St. Petersburg because the kayaking is wonderful there with plenty of dolphins, manatee and other wildlife.

We changed those plans when we learned our treasured friends Moe and Colleen would be spending only a few days here during my birthday week.

We both thought nothing would make us want to miss their visit. We figured we could kayak anytime but we rarely get to spend time with those special friends.

Sometimes, when we are lucky enough to find extraordinary “forever friends” we know enough to value them for the treasure they are.

There are a few people in life you might not see for a long time, but when you do, the conversation flows as if you just saw them yesterday.

Well, Moe, Colleen, Lenny and his wife are those kind of friends for David and me. Since we now live many states apart, it was extraordinary that I got to be with all four of them during my birthday week.

For the day itself, my painful back ruled out kayaking. Instead, we traveled to a part of old Florida called Babcock Ranch where one can take a swamp buggy tour and feel like you are transported back in time.

I especially loved all the wildlife we got to see. When we saw a mama boar and her two scampering little babies one could hear the “ahhh, sweet” exclamations from the women on the tour.

Those of us who like to take wildlife photos were rewarded with plenty of action. I “shot” a newborn fawn, a massive bull and dozens of alligators. At one pond alone there were probably more than 100 baby alligators.

It was a great day spending my birthday doing “something different.”

But while the day was special, I have to admit so is every single day of life.

Every day when I open the door for my morning walk I’m greeted by what I regard as a great day.

When I can inhale my first deep outside breath and gauge the differences in weather from the day before, it all seems incredible to me.

Yes, I do, indeed, tune in to all the little wonders of the day. And of course I always notice the wildlife. Today it was just bunnies and noisy turkey vultures, but I like seeing it all.

The most spectacular sight of the day for me was the beautiful family of cardinals at my bird feeder. The big males are the most colorful, but the babies with just a touch of red are also sweet to see. The pair of osprey sitting high on their telephone pole nest is also fun to watch, even if they do squawk a lot when you get near.

If you’re thinking by now that I’m a nature nut, you’re right. I don’t think I can ever get enough of being outside, taking in everything around me.

Once, when I was walking to a restaurant with some fellow editors, I remarked on how good it felt to be walking outside on such a nice night.

“Good lord. You act like you’ve never been outside before,” one editor said.

I told him it doesn’t matter how many nice nights I’ve enjoyed being outdoors. The next time I do it, it still feels special.

The same thing is true of seeing beautiful sunsets. Each new sunset draws “ahhhs” from deep within me.

So yes, I enjoy life. I enjoy every special day. And truth be told, every day is special.

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.