UN)happy Birthday!

United States
April 22, 2007 9:33am CST
As some of you may know that I am estranged from my family so I was not really having any hopes of my birthday on Tuesday being a very happy one. Last year I was so happy and glad to be alive as I had just been home from a four month painful stay in a nursing home after my accident. This year brought a pretty gloomy outlook BUT was I wrong! I seem to have the best friends and neighbors in the world. Yesterday evening my dogs were barking so I went to the door and two little neighbor girls, 5 and 6 years old, were singing "Happy Birthday" and both had elaborate birthday cards, they had spent all day making, for me. Today, Sunday, my very special friend is giving me a party, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I have received dinner invites. One from the nursing home where I used to be a patient but now volunteer they are giving me a birthday lunch. Now I am looking forward to happy days of celebration. Once again God has worked though my friends to make sure I would not feel sad or unloved on remembering the day he gave me life. I just had to share this feeling of joy that I am experiencing.
23 people like this
33 responses
• United States
22 Apr 07
My birthday was last Tuesday as well... Happy Birthday, even though it is late. I too am estranged from most of my family. I have my new hubby, and my two kids (but they live 2000+ miles away), and a great friend, that made my birthday special this year. I have always had a hard time on my birthday, it is not a day that I usually enjoy. God does work through our friends and others though, and somehow in the end, it all ends up being wonderful. You are always loved and cherished by Him. Bless you, and I am glad you are feeling joy. May you always have that feeling with you my friend. Hugs.
5 people like this
• United States
22 Apr 07
Happy Belated Birthday to You My friend.
3 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
23 Apr 07
I wasn't aware that you were estranged from your family. That is very sad. My husband is estranged from one of his sisters, who lives very close to us. It seems as though you are going to be celebrating your birthday over at least three days. This is wonderful. And all those dinner invites.I hope you are not on a diet. My Best Wishes.
• United States
23 Apr 07
Thank you Jenny, last night was my firts dinner invitation and from the brthdau cake alone I'm going to have to watch my diet next week.
2 people like this
@matlgal (1686)
• United States
22 Apr 07
' HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU... HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HEATHER...happy birthday to you !!! (There's a reason I didn't add sound to this LOL ) Anyway just remember you get back what you give and obviously there are some lovely people that think you are very worthy of having a great Birthday. THe cheer that you get is a boomerang of the joy you give to others.. I hope that you enjoy each one of your invites this week. Spend a moment reflecting on the good things! God Bless you
4 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Thank you my friend. Dinner last night was wonderful. I like shellfish but dont indulge very often so my friend has fixed, king and snow crab, shrimp, and oysters, green salad, baked potato, fresh bread and a beautiful (made from scratch) double chocolate fudge birthady cake. I'm going to have diet like crazy next week.
3 people like this
• Philippines
23 Apr 07
Happy birthday, whiteheather. No matter what happens to us, there will always be people who will value us. Even if we will say that nobody has come to greet us during our birthday, always bear in mind that there are people who remembers it, only they haven't come or called up for some reason that they only know. Never feel low and bad if ever the time comes when your birthday becomes uneventful. There will always be people who care in their own way. We may not know each other personally, whiteheather, but I tell you that I value my friends here in mylot so much. After being around for a few months, my friends here have become so valuable to me. I value you, my friend.
@bad1981 (799)
• United States
23 Apr 07
Happy early birthday to you! Sometimes you dont need family and all you need is some good friends to make you smile. Sometimes family can bring you down, while your friends bring you up. Just remember take it one day at a time and smile.
4 people like this
@flipper0 (93)
• United States
22 Apr 07
Happy Birthday!!! You were born the same day as my mother! Makes you extra special in my book... I hope you contine to have special moments associated with the day of your birth, and incredibly special moment in time! All the best to you.
4 people like this
• United States
22 Apr 07
Thank you and my best birthday wishes for your mom.
3 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
23 Apr 07
Happy Birthday  - Have a lovely and loving time 
My Thoughts are with you my special Friend 
Love and Hugs 
Gabs xxx
Heather Sweet I am so happy for you and please let me wish you a Happy Birthday to I hope you have a great Day and I will be thinking of you and please have a wonderful time with all those lovely Friends of yours I am so happy that you have these Friends and if I was closer I would also come and celebrate your Birthday with you but I will have to do it from here Sweet
3 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Thank you gabs. Also for the friends comment.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160615)
• United States
22 Apr 07
You are a blessing to others, and it is coming back to bless you as well. I know it does not always work this way. I am glad that you have reminders of new joys this year! Happy birthday from me as well. I am not even very good at remembering family birthdays it seems anymore. Wishing you much new happiness.
• United States
23 Apr 07
I too have been estranged by my family. Just remmemember to hang in there, and that you are not alone. You can create your own family, when your biologival family abandons you. I'm glad you have a strong social network, apart from your family. i don't know yoru situation, but in most cases, parents forgive and forget, but in others, they don't. I wish you the best in your situation.
3 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Thank you I'm sorry for your situation. I was the parent who forgave (didn't forget) and all it did was to be thought of as being stupid and my only child robbed me again.
2 people like this
@dbeast (1495)
• India
22 Apr 07
hey thats so nice to hear buddy.and my advance wishes to you too.of course you are going to have a wonderful time.well today was my birthday.i think i had the most dull day of them all.all i did was play a computer game because no one did give a damn about.and then to the worst thing of all my girl friend who i really loved a lot gave the greatest gift to me.we broke up and dont have any idea of getting back together.this day really was bad for me.i wish i had the luck as you did and didnt feel as low as i feel now.
3 people like this
• United States
22 Apr 07
I am so sorry you had such a lousy day. Perhaps tomorrow will be better. Happy Birthday to you :-)
2 people like this
@honeyangel (1991)
22 Apr 07
happy birthday to you - flowers
that was good of your friends and neibours to do that and when i read about the two little girls singing to you it brought a lump to my throut,i thought it was so sweet of them to do that. happy belated birthday
3 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Thank You. The little girls were so sweet and so serious about the works of art they gave me.
3 people like this
29 Apr 07
thanx for the best response
@twils2 (1812)
• United States
23 Apr 07
Well, I'm glad everything is going to work out for you. I hope you have a very happy birthday! And I hope things work out with your family. Take care!!
@mummymo (23706)
22 Apr 07
I am so glad that everything is working out so much better than you had hoped heather! You deserve to be happy and joyous! Let me wish you a really happy birthday for Tuesday - it sounds like you will be having a very happy and busy time over the next few days - enjoy! xxx
3 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Thank you so much.
2 people like this
@natalie1981 (1995)
• Singapore
22 Apr 07
Advance Happy Birthday. I'm so glad that you're going to celebrate your special day in a happy mood. I know what's it like to have a lousy Birthday. I'm glad that the people around you has made up for your family's shortcomings. I hope your coming birthdays would be just as happy as this one.
@lonewolfnan (4366)
• Canada
22 Apr 07
For you to be surrounded by friends like that is a reflection on what your neigbours/friends think of you.Happy birthday is in order for you,but the touching deeds these people are doing for you outweighs anything I could say.I would say you have a much larger family than you realized!.
• United States
22 Apr 07
I believe I do and I thank you for being one of them
2 people like this
@wmg2006 (5381)
• United States
23 Apr 07
Happy Birthday. Nothing is more special than someone giving from their heart like the children did. I would have baked you a cake and had a party for you too if I lived near by. God has sent you some beautiful angels to your rescue to make your day as special to you as it is to him. May God Bless you and may you have many more wonderful Happy Birthday's.
• United States
23 Apr 07
Let me explain to you what a unhappy burthday is. Next month I will turn 72 and I know that every body who knows me will send me discount coupons and gift certificates to help get me installed in the local nursing home so they can bribe the attendants to never let me out. The county would probably make it a state holiday to celebrate shutting me up.
2 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Haha. My daughter tried that with me. She tried to keep me in the rehab nursing home even although they said I could go home. She didn't want me to find out that in 4 months she had stolen nearly every penny I had. I am a strong old bird and did't let her get away with it.
2 people like this
• United States
23 Apr 07
Think I know you both well enough to know who is who in a response LOL.
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
22 Apr 07
how wonderful to have freinds and neighbors like you have! Aee you arent forgoten!. I get down if one of my kids forget to call me on my birthday but they make up for it later ha ha . Well Happy Birthday To you and many more great ons like this on is turning out to be!
3 people like this
• United States
22 Apr 07
I too, have seen that things work out in the end on most occasions, even when it seems the outcome of such things to be a gloomy one. I would sing happy birthday to you as well, but don't want to blow out anyone's ear drums so I'll just say it instead. Happy Birthday Heather!! Just in case I'm not around on Tuesday. Have a great birthday my friend.
• United States
22 Apr 07
Thank you Rose
2 people like this
22 Apr 07
WISHING YOU A VERY VERY HAPPY DAY HUN I couldn't shout it any louder, and you know that you have a load of friends right here wishing you the best.
• United States
22 Apr 07
Thank You!
2 people like this