April 21

Uncomplicated. Pretty: always full of buds, beginning to show color. Cheerful. With rays of sunlight, if I’m lucky.

I’ve always liked April 21st.

Not too long ago, we’d make such a terrific fuss on April 21st! It was a well-planned day. I’d insist on time outdoors and most certainly we would begin and end the day with great food. In the middle, there’d be ribbons and sweet things and if this all seems terribly playful, I’d have to say that indeed it was!


I knew from the first day that I met Ed that to him, April 21st was going to be as significant as October 20th. Meaning not very significant at all.

No matter. For me, it will be a day that stands out.

This year it’s a workday, yes, there’s that. And I swear I’m seeing snowflakes outside! But, I will have some significant back and forth with daughters, I’ll pick up a small bunch of spring flowers [UPDATE: no I wont -- thank you!], and I will go out for an early dinner with Ed (the man plays volley ball Tuesdays – can’t bump into that).

I’m 56 today.

And then I’ll go back to my condo and give out my own birthday gifts to people very far away*: Fuya Mensah in Togo who needs rice, soap and sugar to replenish her store, Suweni in Indonesia who needs cacao seedlings for her family farm, Sarmes Takhmazov, a displaced person, living with his two sons in Azerbaijan, looking to buy calves.

I may browse the community of others who chose to sponsor Fuya, Sarmes and Suweni. We’re a diverse handful, but we have these people in common now and together we watch the progress they are making in their lives.

At the end of the day, I plan on popping the cork on the New York fizzy wine we bought back in March and I’ll drink a toast to their success. And to my family. And friends. And to Ed’s volley ball game. And to the year ahead.

* Microfinancing, through Kiva. Click here and take a look at the possibilities.