Today is a day of multiple celebrations along with being a day of remembrance.
I jointly dedicate my song today to myself on my 77th birthday: I jointly dedicate my song to me and my wife, Sheila. We also celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary today: I jointly dedicate my song today to my Facebook friends, Liz Venables from Pembrokeshire and Paul McGrath from County Waterford, Ireland, both of whom celebrate their birthdays today. Finally, I jointly dedicate my song to all those brave men and women from the two World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45 who gave their lives for us so that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today and their loved ones who fought on the Home Front. We shall never forget their courage and shall always remember the freedom they won for us.
Today is my 77th birthday and 7th wedding anniversary. I have had the richest of lives and even was it to end tomorrow, I cannot think of anything I really regret. Every hardship I encountered, I dealt with and became stronger because of. Every bad thing or un-Christian act I ever did, only made my belief in Christ more meaningful when good acts I later performed had the spiritual effect of wiping my slate clean. My Maker has never given up on me and I know He never will. I am a living example of a known sinner who truly knows that only the grace of God has given me peace of mind, the purpose of spirit and pardon of self, besides having endowed me with compassion and a natural inclination to forgive others. I rejoice in my own birth doubly, ever since Sheila married me on my 70th birthday, seven years ago.
I cannot honestly recall a time in my life when I have felt unloved, and since I met and married my wife, Sheila, I have been heaped with her constant love. Since I started to develop recurring cancers in my body, I have been blessed by the love of so many people across the world who graciously remember me daily in their prayers and regularly light a candle for me in their church settings. Such kind thoughts not only provide me with the physical and mental strength with which to withstand my body cancers but constantly remind me how kind people can be and how goodness flourishes in its most wholesome form within this wonderful world of ours.
Indeed, I can honestly say, I do not know of a man more loved than I feel today. It is a love to which I am truly receptive and appreciative of, if not always sufficiently deserving.
I had the very best of starts in my life when I was procreated by parents who were deeply in love with each other and was given birth to by a mother who never once throughout my childhood and teenage years failed to let me know that she loved me, along with her daily statement, ‘Never forget, Billy, that you are a special person’. Not only did I not forget (forgive the double negative), but I eventually started to believe that I was ‘special’. After a time, any good or unusual thing which happened to me merely strengthened and convinced me in my belief ‘that I was special!’
I spent the first thirty years of my life believing in my ‘specialness’ before realising something even more important. Yes! My mother spoke the truth, but it was only ‘a part truth’. It was certainly true that I was ‘special’ BUT SO WAS EVERY OTHER PERSON AND LIVING CREATURE ON GOD’S PLANET!
I spent my life from thirty years onwards doing things in ways that tell and show others their own unique brand of ‘specialness’. I have met so many people who cannot seem to believe in their own sense of self-worth, despite the goodness within them that is evident to any outsider. Such people are not weak. Many of them simply lacked sufficient love and encouragement as a child and grew up into a less confident adult who never learned to accept and love themselves. Some may have had a happy childhood, but who later experienced in their adult lives a traumatic experience like death, divorce or another form of emotional distress and instability to knock their confidence and self-belief levels.
Had I experienced during my early development the very same responses from significant others that they probably experienced, or had I incurred their traumatic experiences of adult life, and they mine, then our situations today would simply be reversed.
Every gardener worth their salt knows that unless planted in the proper place and soil, and maintained with loving care and vital sustenance, no crop will ever fruitfully grow. This is the very same truth that loving parent intrinsically knows. It equally follows that even well-planted flowers, which in later life find themselves being pulled up by their roots or emotionally trampled on, will show immense distress and start to wither and die unless re-grounded in love.
Parents, family, teachers, priest, employers, neighbours, friends, workmates, strangers and even enemies; all have positive things to offer us throughout our lives. If we remain open to their offerings and keep ourselves emotionally honest in our dealings with all whom we come into contact, it naturally follows that the more we take on board from one group of people, the more we have to give back to another group.
We all have personal failings, that however hard we try, seem to stay with us forever. Pride has undoubtedly been one of my greatest downfalls throughout my life, along with a level of personal selfishness that is often concealed beneath the cloak of a good character. I cannot remember any time in my life when I did not do what I wanted to do, (whether it was right or wrong to do it then, where, how or whomever with)! Surely, such is selfishness born in pride itself.
I thought long and hard whether it was appropriate to dedicate a song to myself today with it being my birthday and wondered if it was simply my ego in overdrive once more? However, there is one song that is appropriate for a man with the character trait of selfishness and pride that I previously highlighted. It is a very difficult song to sing, even for the most accomplished of singers and I only wish I had a £5 note every time I’ve witnessed some person who was plied with too much alcohol attempt to sing it at the end of the night on some pub/club stage. The song is certainly way outside my own comfort zone and vocal range, but, if instead of screeching out the highest of notes, I make a few key changes downwards, I can hopefully produce a respectable rendition of a fine song that is appropriate to my person.
I also consider this song appropriate to my wife and me on our 7th wedding anniversary, as we are both independent people who have learned to depend on each other’s love in our happy life together.
I suspect that the song is also suitable for my Facebook friends, Liz Venables and Paul McGrath who also have their birthday on the same day as mine.
I know the song to be suitable for all those brave souls from past wars, whose natural way was to stand up, fight for and die for the country they loved and the freedoms they enjoyed. They will always be remembered and shall never be forgotten.
So, on this momentous of occasions, and in celebration of a wonderful life to press, I would like to sing you ‘My Way’ that the late Frank Sinatra sang and popularised in 1969. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude".
Love and peace Bill xxx
I jointly dedicate my song today to myself on my 77th birthday: I jointly dedicate my song to me and my wife, Sheila. We also celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary today: I jointly dedicate my song today to my Facebook friends, Liz Venables from Pembrokeshire and Paul McGrath from County Waterford, Ireland, both of whom celebrate their birthdays today. Finally, I jointly dedicate my song to all those brave men and women from the two World Wars of 1914-18 and 1939-45 who gave their lives for us so that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today and their loved ones who fought on the Home Front. We shall never forget their courage and shall always remember the freedom they won for us.
Today is my 77th birthday and 7th wedding anniversary. I have had the richest of lives and even was it to end tomorrow, I cannot think of anything I really regret. Every hardship I encountered, I dealt with and became stronger because of. Every bad thing or un-Christian act I ever did, only made my belief in Christ more meaningful when good acts I later performed had the spiritual effect of wiping my slate clean. My Maker has never given up on me and I know He never will. I am a living example of a known sinner who truly knows that only the grace of God has given me peace of mind, the purpose of spirit and pardon of self, besides having endowed me with compassion and a natural inclination to forgive others. I rejoice in my own birth doubly, ever since Sheila married me on my 70th birthday, seven years ago.
I cannot honestly recall a time in my life when I have felt unloved, and since I met and married my wife, Sheila, I have been heaped with her constant love. Since I started to develop recurring cancers in my body, I have been blessed by the love of so many people across the world who graciously remember me daily in their prayers and regularly light a candle for me in their church settings. Such kind thoughts not only provide me with the physical and mental strength with which to withstand my body cancers but constantly remind me how kind people can be and how goodness flourishes in its most wholesome form within this wonderful world of ours.
Indeed, I can honestly say, I do not know of a man more loved than I feel today. It is a love to which I am truly receptive and appreciative of, if not always sufficiently deserving.
I had the very best of starts in my life when I was procreated by parents who were deeply in love with each other and was given birth to by a mother who never once throughout my childhood and teenage years failed to let me know that she loved me, along with her daily statement, ‘Never forget, Billy, that you are a special person’. Not only did I not forget (forgive the double negative), but I eventually started to believe that I was ‘special’. After a time, any good or unusual thing which happened to me merely strengthened and convinced me in my belief ‘that I was special!’
I spent the first thirty years of my life believing in my ‘specialness’ before realising something even more important. Yes! My mother spoke the truth, but it was only ‘a part truth’. It was certainly true that I was ‘special’ BUT SO WAS EVERY OTHER PERSON AND LIVING CREATURE ON GOD’S PLANET!
I spent my life from thirty years onwards doing things in ways that tell and show others their own unique brand of ‘specialness’. I have met so many people who cannot seem to believe in their own sense of self-worth, despite the goodness within them that is evident to any outsider. Such people are not weak. Many of them simply lacked sufficient love and encouragement as a child and grew up into a less confident adult who never learned to accept and love themselves. Some may have had a happy childhood, but who later experienced in their adult lives a traumatic experience like death, divorce or another form of emotional distress and instability to knock their confidence and self-belief levels.
Had I experienced during my early development the very same responses from significant others that they probably experienced, or had I incurred their traumatic experiences of adult life, and they mine, then our situations today would simply be reversed.
Every gardener worth their salt knows that unless planted in the proper place and soil, and maintained with loving care and vital sustenance, no crop will ever fruitfully grow. This is the very same truth that loving parent intrinsically knows. It equally follows that even well-planted flowers, which in later life find themselves being pulled up by their roots or emotionally trampled on, will show immense distress and start to wither and die unless re-grounded in love.
Parents, family, teachers, priest, employers, neighbours, friends, workmates, strangers and even enemies; all have positive things to offer us throughout our lives. If we remain open to their offerings and keep ourselves emotionally honest in our dealings with all whom we come into contact, it naturally follows that the more we take on board from one group of people, the more we have to give back to another group.
We all have personal failings, that however hard we try, seem to stay with us forever. Pride has undoubtedly been one of my greatest downfalls throughout my life, along with a level of personal selfishness that is often concealed beneath the cloak of a good character. I cannot remember any time in my life when I did not do what I wanted to do, (whether it was right or wrong to do it then, where, how or whomever with)! Surely, such is selfishness born in pride itself.
I thought long and hard whether it was appropriate to dedicate a song to myself today with it being my birthday and wondered if it was simply my ego in overdrive once more? However, there is one song that is appropriate for a man with the character trait of selfishness and pride that I previously highlighted. It is a very difficult song to sing, even for the most accomplished of singers and I only wish I had a £5 note every time I’ve witnessed some person who was plied with too much alcohol attempt to sing it at the end of the night on some pub/club stage. The song is certainly way outside my own comfort zone and vocal range, but, if instead of screeching out the highest of notes, I make a few key changes downwards, I can hopefully produce a respectable rendition of a fine song that is appropriate to my person.
I also consider this song appropriate to my wife and me on our 7th wedding anniversary, as we are both independent people who have learned to depend on each other’s love in our happy life together.
I suspect that the song is also suitable for my Facebook friends, Liz Venables and Paul McGrath who also have their birthday on the same day as mine.
I know the song to be suitable for all those brave souls from past wars, whose natural way was to stand up, fight for and die for the country they loved and the freedoms they enjoyed. They will always be remembered and shall never be forgotten.
So, on this momentous of occasions, and in celebration of a wonderful life to press, I would like to sing you ‘My Way’ that the late Frank Sinatra sang and popularised in 1969. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to the music of the French song "Comme d'habitude".
Love and peace Bill xxx
