Birthday Wishes

by Malena Lott

Remember how much you loved blowing out candles on your cake when you were little? As if you weren't really that age until you officially blew out the requisite number of candles and made your wish.

Last week I kinda-sorta watched Sixteen Wishes on Disney while painting the wet bar. She had all these wishes from when she was nine that she wanted to come true when she turned sixteen. She finds a magical box with sixteen numbered candles the morning of her big day and after she wishes and blows, the wish is actualized. You know, kinda like the Law of Attraction, right?

I have to admit, even while watching out of the corner of my eye, the sappy tween flick made its point with this 39-year-old (today!) mod mama of three. 1. Be careful what you wish for. 2. Don't rush life. Things will happen in their own time. and 3. The boy next door really is a better life partner than the hot guy at school who's in to muscle cars. And that's what I got from barely paying attention.

For a dreamer like me, wishing is an Olympic sport. I'd share with you all I've learned in my nearly forty years, but why don't you just read Tina Fey's BOSSYPANTS, instead? She completes the final third of the whole live/love/laugh mission.

My boy-next-door husband turns 40 on Saturday, so we're celebrating with a big party on the deck in our new house. (He doesn't look a day over 25, does he?) For pics of our celebration, let's connect on Facebook. (And be sure and read Ellen's funny post about social media yesterday on this blog if you missed it.)