On My 48th Birthday....Pilar

On My 48th Birthday
(October 11, 2006)
(An appreciation speech delivered during the first of two parties in celebration of my 48th birthday)

The falling leaves…drift by the window…

Today’s party, as you may have noticed, has an autumn motif.
Firstly, because my birthday falls in the season of autumn.
Secondly, because autumn reflects who I am right now.

I’m all of 48 summers today.
And I know, my leaves are, inevitably, starting to fall one after another.
I’d say I have stepped into my autumn years.
But hey, I’m not complaining.

I love summer.
It connotes youth, vibrance, being carefree and having fun.
And I enjoyed my “summer years” tremendously.

Autumn…although the picture that comes to our mind is that of falling leaves, autumn still strikes me with a different kind of beauty.
Autumn brings about a burst of beautiful colors…of gold…and red…and orange…burgundy…

which to me symbolizes warmth, depth, maturity…grace, confidence, wisdom, courage…and a certain calmness of the spirit…of being mellow…

Autumn is a picture of a tree getting bare of its leaves.
It signifies a time of nakedness…
Of unmasking…of not being afraid to be vulnerable…
Of being truthful and honest…
It connotes a different kind of joy,
that joy that has a significant amount of serenity in it.
And I have stepped into my autumn years
with a strange but delightful feeling of excitement
knowing so much more is in store for me.

48 years…
Those have been beautiful, fruitful, generally happy years
which, I’d like to think, anybody would pray to be blessed with.
And I thank God for those years.

But look! This season is not only the season of falling leaves.
This is also the season of harvest!
The Bible says “There’s a time for everything under heaven.
A time for sowing and a time for reaping or harvesting”.
I’d like to think that, although I will always be sowing,
My autumn years are pretty much my season of harvesting.
I’m going to reap and enjoy the fruits of my labor so my Bible says.
And actually, I am already.
They’re not necessarily all material things but so much more than those.
My abundant harvest consists of the joy
that my precious, loving and wonderful children give me,

the peace that passes all understanding
amidst whatever situation I may be in,
the love and support of family and friends,
the forgiveness of people who sometimes have to deal with my imperfection,
the tolerance of those who discover my eccentricities,
the kind understanding of people who experience my craziness,
the surprising goodness of a lot of people that surround me…
the awesome, abundant grace and mercy of my Creator…

Indeed, it is my season of favor, it is my season of harvest!










I am 48 today. And my goodness! Am I excited!


I’m glad all of you have come today to share with my excitement.
Thank you very much.

Enjoy the party!

Pilar