The other day I caught myself humming a song recorded by Connie Francis in 1959, My Happiness. It was one of my favorites of the time and it popped into my head on Wednesday, January 6th. Why? Because I was feeling very happy. It was my birthday. I’m always happy on my birthday and look forward to it every year. This birthday was kind of special in that it was the first day of the last year of the seventh decade of my life. Am I happy to be saying good-bye to the seventies? Not so much, knowing there are fewer years ahead of me, but there is also a whole new decade coming up, in which, God willing, I hope to experience even more happiness.

For one thing there is a brand new family member coming to meet me in July, my eighth great-grandchild expected on July 3rd. Also, another one of my grandchildren is getting married in 2016, setting the scene for even more great-grandchildren.

Having had a few weeks of unpleasant health problems at the end of my seventy-eighth year, on my birthday I found out that although the diagnosis and prognosis are not excellent, at least they aren’t fatal, and medication should contribute to better control and more comfortable living.

I’m looking forward to enjoying my seventy-ninth year and all that it holds in store, while being mindful of Proverbs 15:13 – A happy heart makes the face cheerful…

My Happiness is still playing in my head. I don’t mind if it stays there for the next three-hundred-and-fifty-eight days.