Birthday Musings

[dogwoodmaple 380]

Birthdays run the gamut when it comes to emotions.  Some of them are just outlandishly exciting, some are quiet, and some can be sad, but I always like to use them to sort of take stock of my life and what I'd like to accomplish in the following 365 days as we travel back around the sun.  The main thing I always think about is my family.  As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate my parents much more than I probably should have when I was just a kid. It's hard to really see what all your folks do for you when you're young, but now that I've got some age on me it's apparent how much they sacrificed for us in order to give us a good life.  And when I say I think about my "family" I'm also including my close knit group of friends.  Some family you're born into, but some family you pick and there's nothing that give me more joy than spending time with my close friends as we catch up and update each other about what's going on in our lives.  But with each passing year, there is a bit of sadness that necessarily follows that isn't immediately apparent for every birthday.  Just the slow sort of itch that makes you realize that your loved ones won't always be around, but there's also some comfort in making sure you enjoy all your time with them if you can.  None of us get out of this thing alive, so we have to make the most of our opportunities on a daily basis.  Of course, that doesn't mean every day is gravy or fantastic or even okay, but it isn't supposed to.  The ebbs and flows of life, like birthdays, help us mark our course of life as we continue to barrel through the universe.  I'm also thankful for my VHL family and all the great friends I've made along the way here. I likely won't ever meet any of you in person and there will come a time when I'm no longer in this league, but I truly appreciate everything y'all have done for me.  This place is a great outlet to blow off steam and take a break in a great online community.  Sure winning Cups is nice, but I'd be perfectly content to just hang out in locker rooms and try to give it out best shot year in and year out.  I honestly can't believe this place has lasted this long, but in some ways it does make sense.  There's a great leadership group here which is the engine of any sim league.  It can sometimes be a monotonous and un-sexy job, but without the general managers, updaters, bankers, and league officials, this place is dead on arrival. So on VHL's birthday, I raise a glass to all my comrades in the league, all the players I've played with in the past, and all the ones whose time together has not yet come to pass.  Here's to a hell of a league, a great community, and a wonderful way to celebrate birthdays.  Cheers!

 

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