For many years I have believed the old adage that says how we spend our birthday is how we will spend the year.

It might be an old wives’ tale, but there might be something to it. After all, our general attitude about life stays about the same throughout the year.

If we are what I call an “up person” we will probably enjoy both our birthday and the rest of the year. It’s our nature to be optimistic.

I always try to plan ahead for how I will spend my birthday and I work hard to have a nice birthday.

Even in years when I had to work on my birthday I made sure I arranged a happy day by scheduling an interesting feature or fun interview.

That’s not hard when you write for a newspaper and get the opportunity to interview so many interesting people.

And no matter what happened I wouldn’t let anything dampen my birthday.

There was one particular year when I had a day off on my birthday so I planned a trip to a special nursery where I could load up on spring flowers for my garden.

But that day it rained so hard that streets were flooded and still the rain didn’t stop.

Hey, I wasn’t going to let anything spoil my special day.

I put on my rain gear and went anyway. Normally that popular nursery is crowded but I was the only customer on that rain-soaked day.

With my car loaded with spring flowers I went home and followed through with my plan to plant the flowers on my birthday, regardless of weather.

The rain washed away some flowers I planted on a hill but I wouldn’t give up. I added more dirt and replanted.

It turned out to be an invigorating day, a birthday I would truly remember.

I don’t have to do something big to enjoy my birthday. God gives me my special day and all I have to do is appreciate the gift of another day.

This year my daughter Maria wanted to give me a big party, and South Port Square offered to provide champagne and special goodies. They told me I could use their party room and they encouraged me to invite as many as I wanted.

I turned down their generous offer because it wasn’t what I had in mind for this birthday.

I just wanted a simple celebration at our favorite pizza place with just a few of my very closest friends.

I’ve been thinking about how blessed I am to have special friends who are there for me year in and year out, good times and bad times.

I’ve been thinking that I don’t want to take those friends for granted.

So the birthday I had in mind was more like a tribute to long-term friends that seldom get told how special they are to me.

Think about it. We seldom stop in the rush of life to take time to tell our friends how much we value them.

As we told stories over pizza I recounted the story about my one and only birthday party when I was in seventh grade.

Spin the bottle in my mother’s living room must have been too wild for my strict mom because before we knew what happened, she threw the kids out the door

I was so embarrassed I didn’t want to go to school the next day. It was the first and last birthday I ever had.

Well, this time there was nothing but the joy of friendship on my birthday.

There is something about getting this old that makes me think about the wonderful people that over the years come in and out of my life.

I often think about friends I no longer see after being separated by time and miles.

But I often recall how they added much pleasure to my life.

After Andy died and I needed surgery it was my drumming friends, Moe and Colleen, who showed up to take me out for meal and a bit of laughter. But first they opened my refrigerator and added a few things to help when it was hard for me to cook.

Friends have a way of soothing the rough spots in life. By now my Pennsylvania friends probably forgot all they did for me.

But I never forgot.

Incredible people like Franck and Jan who were there with me through several hurricanes and some of life’s sorrows will never be forgotten. We wish we could still be there for each other but age and circumstances prevent it.

Yet, nothing prevents a grateful memory.

I am at the stage of life when I know with all certainty that money and prestige pale in comparison to true friendships.

And a big champagne party also pales in comparison to a simple pizza party with friends.

So here’s to friendships past and presents.

May the year bring more blessing of friends to each of you.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net