I’ve spent 34 birthdays with Mike and I can’t believe I have been so blessed. Time has robbed me of the ability to recall each one, and honestly there were times I didn’t appreciate it anyway. I didn’t find the joy in the years we spent because I was too busy raising kids, working, surviving and feeling like I was drowning in chaos. most of the time we were drowning in chaos. We have survived it all only to find ourselves still alive and still thriving in the chaos.

There’s a peace that has come with age and if I could give it to the 20 and 30 year olds, I would. It happened without me even realizing…. Maybe it happened when I got sick. Maybe it happened when we struggled through hard times that I thought were life and death. Maybe it happened when I stopped giving a shit what people thought about me. Maybe it happened when I decided that “we” mattered more than those who didn’t care. Maybe it happened when we realized that we were never going to get back any of the time we spent worrying about things that could happen. Maybe it happened when we decided that “now” is all we have. Whenever it happened….. I’m glad it did. I don’t have the time or energy for the bullshit, so we take our time.

Mike always made sure that no matter what we were going to see things. Limited funds or not, we made it work. I remember one trip when Ian was a tiny baby that we took to Broken Bow, Ne. We shared a dinner and made sandwiches so we could afford the $40 room for one night!! Best times of my life and I didn’t even know it. So now, on the 6th of September he turns 65…. I can’t believe it. I made the plan to take him away for a few days and “see things”. We’ve sailed the Atlantic in search of fish, we toured the maritime museum, traveled the way of the Algonquin, saw lighthouses and will schooner our way around Penobscot Bay. But it’s really not about what we see, it’s about time. It’s about how content we are to just “be”. It’s about seeing him happy. It’s about random hand holding and the salt air, the warm sun on our faces and the memories that come without notice and run down my face. It’s about the fact that time is moving fast and sooner than we know we will round that big old sun for the last time. Jimmy Buffet just proved that and I’m not ok with any of it.

65 for him. 56 for me on the 17th of September and I’m just grateful. Mike Harvey is a lot of things, but the one thing he’s always been is steady. When I would fall apart he always remained steady, determined, focused, calm. He let me spin until eventually he would reel me in and slow me down like no one else would. I am grateful. it’s not been an easy union. In fact we have had our share of tough, but it has been worth it. Thank you to our kids for taking care of things so we could do this. Thank you for everything.

With that I say “happy birthday Baby! You make 65 look good!!! I love you for a thousand years and a million reasons. “

Until then, I’m going let the salt air heal us!

E