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<\/p>\n\u201cYou celebrated your birthday by telling your friends about a close call with death decades ago? Really?\u201d<\/p>\n
This was what I heard when I told a friend about an email message I wrote six years ago. Actually, the message is one I’ve saved and occasionally send to someone new when it seems helpful. It’s not my birthday today, but I’m reminded of \u00a0the message because I’ve just sent it out again.<\/p>\n
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Birthdays have a way of reminding us of all the people we want to fold in and hold close. I know it’s a little unusual to send greetings to other people on one’s own birthday, but I thought I’d break tradition this time. Since you’re all scattered hither and thither, I’m grateful for electronic tools that allow me to at least throw a virtual loop around you all. I’m so lucky you’re all in my life. A few lines from Denise Levertov’s poem,\u00a0“Complaint and Rejoinder,”<\/a> say it well:<\/p>\n \u2026you want to place all of it\u2014<\/em><\/span> Today I’m taking time to celebrate the simple joy of being alive, visiting gardens and seeing friends. It’s a cool, overcast Seattle day, crisp and gorgeous in its own way . . . and getting brighter at this point.<\/p>\n
\nFrom: <\/strong>Anne Focke
\nDate: <\/strong>\u2028May 6, 2011 12:09:03 PM PDT
\nSubject: <\/strong>Birthday musing<\/p>\n
\npeople, places, their tones, atmospheres, <\/em><\/span>
\neverything shared uniquely with each\u2014<\/em><\/span>
\ninto a single bowl, like petals, like sand<\/em><\/span>
\nin a pail.\u2026<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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