Let's have a little party in a small cafe.

I just learned that today is the birthday of one bad-ass seminarian. You might drop by and send her a greeting, if you like. Judging by what she's written lately, she might even be too tie-yord to remember how important she is to all of us. Wouldn't it be great if we could all just show up at the door of her blog and yell, "SURPRISE! We brought a cake and gin and tonics and little pointy hats. Let's have a party!"

So estaminet, since we have to put our little party into words, here is what I'll sing to you since I can't sing Happy Birthday To You in person (and actually we are all just as well off that I am not really singing):

We are all very lucky that you were born twenty-something years ago. Thanks to your mom and dad, too, for having you. We appreciate that. And we appreciate you--your humor, your sense, your insight, your compassion, your lovingness, your calling, and really everything you give us. I am especially grateful to have gotten reacquainted with you now, after entirely too long. How is it that the people we grow up with, with whom we share such random experiences, might then turn out to be such fascinating adults? And why is it that we find these people again, we find that instead of living around the corner from one another, we live a couple states away, our friendship relegated to the technological realms?

So happy birthday. Thank you for reappearing in my life. Thank you for the things you write that help me understand the world better, or make me rage at it, or relish it, or wonder at it and my lack of understanding. Thank you for enduring my piano playing in your basement once a week for so many years during our childhoods. Thank you for telling me recently that I was not one of the worst ones to listen to. Thank you for being the kind of person cares so much about other people, who really wants to make this world better and help people find an easier way to live in it. Thank you for your jokes that break my bad moods. Thank you for reminding me that bad moods are life, and life is precious. Thank you for sending me nice messages that help me get through difficult times. Thank you for kicking so much ass. And happy birthday.