Happy birthdays

(Money plants—birthday gifts for two people who claimed they wanted nothing, but deserve more than a little something.)

Today is my mom’s birthday. Friday was my aunt’s birthday. If you had asked any of us early in our lives if we would have ended up in a rural town in the middle of nowhere, we all probably would have scoffed at the question and pointed toward the metropolitan cities of our dreams.

Because of a job for my father, our family moved here. And then, some years later, my aunt moved here as well. And then I went away to college and my young life. But now I’m back.

I’ve thought loads about where we’ve chosen to live. I always pictured myself somewhere like Boulder, a liberal town teeming with progressive schools, immersed in art, culture, and nature. But what I ultimately came to is that I’d be sitting on my porch, surrounded by a beautiful view and my amazing town, but desperately missing my family.

So we are here. It’s not necessarily the town of my dreams, but there are lots of good things brewing. The community park is getting better each day. The arts center is gaining momentum. The food co-op is getting closer to a storefront, and in the meantime, the farmer’s market offers french pastries and good folks. Our friends Ben and Kate talk about the idea that if you can’t find the community you want to live in, you should build it yourself. So I’ve made it my mission to think about a few small things I can do to make this town a place I’m proud to call home. I know I can’t do too much right now, since I have very little free time, but there must be a few balls I can set in motion.

But in the meantime, I’m thankful I don’t have to rely on FTD to deliver my birthday well wishes. I can just walk down the driveway and celebrate the birthdays of two of the people I love most.