Miracle of a Birthday
25 March 2014
Birthdays received a completely new meaning to me when my
first son was born. Until then birthday was a nice celebration
and a reason to see my friends. Once my children were born, I
realised what a miracle it is that we are all born fully
equipped for the life ahead of us. We are all a miracle
exactly as we are, with our own individual characteristics and
differences. We need care when we are little but step by step
we become more independent.
Many people who recover from addiction call the day when they
have stopped substance abuse their new birthday. They often
celebrate this and reflect back to remember what a blessing it
is to live a life free from addiction. Life with addiction is
not a life where you can be yourself – as your character
is changed by the substance, which is influencing your whole
life. This is why many people say that their life only started
once they stopped using substances.
It is wonderful if we can witness these special moments of
birthdays and join in these celebrations. In our busy modern
lives, it is easy to rush past these moments. We all need
sometimes to be the centre of attention – that is the
way to build self confidence in a positive way. You are
celebrated because you exist – not because of your
achievements or merits but because you have been given the
gift of life. Celebration does not need gifts and money.
Actually if it becomes a material celebration, we will start
measuring ourselves in cost of gifts and this will never
satisfy us. Human qualities cannot be quantified. It needs
warm thoughts and genuine care to give someone a perfect gift.
We also need to let other people enter our life and then we
can celebrate together. As we grow older we become more
independent and those who have many years from recovery grow
stronger in their abstinence. The danger is that we become
self sufficient and believe that we do not need to share these
moments with others anymore. This leaves us to a lonely place
where we are not naturally connected anymore. We need each
other on the journey of life, through ups and downs, lets grow
older together. Happy Birthday for this year, you are a
miracle!!
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