Birthday Quests

Bloom Anyhow! Find Beauty and Meaning.

Hello Bloomers,

I hope you are finding ways to flower. Today is my birthday, so I am more interested in the possibility of blooms. Many of us know, the world is on fire, yet today we have life and breath so let us be on the hunt for beauty and meaning. For the 62nd revolution around that golden sphere, I am choosing as always to Bloom Anyhow!

I have done so by having a Birthday Month. Heading to a Highlights Personal Retreat, a Novels in Verse Workshop, and seeing three Broadway shows — Purpose, Hell’s Kitchen, and Gypsy — was one of the best ways forward I could have imagined. I am so glad I went, and I am so appreciative of those who passed along Marriott Bonvoy points for my 3-day excursion to the city. Thank you.

Today is my actual birthday. It will be lowkey, but I will be on the lookout for beauty and meaning. I will be hanging with the family. They really have their eye on me — circling with both care and love. I am truly fortunate to have a Mama that tends and dotes on not just me but all of her children and anybody else in need. I don’t say that as a flex, I say it in deep gratitude, and I do not take it lightly.

She wants to take me to brunch along with my daughter Amber. If you do not know my poet-daughter, you should. She’s way more introverted than I am, but she is one of the most gentle-women I know. I think she has a birthday cake for me in the refrigerator — it’s hidden in a brown grocery bag from Lowes that I cannot see through. I don’t eat much cake these days, but on my birthday, I will consent. She knows lately, when I want cake, I want coconut cake.

I will also treat myself today by going to see my grandson practice soccer. This is his first true team. He is a BLERD — a Black Nerd who prefers indoors, anime, and video gaming. Many of his hours are squirreled away in this activity. At this point, we have to harness it; I don’t think it’s going away. He’s a true tech savant, but his Mama and I know he needs another outlet

.

Yet, he’s also an athlete. He said he wanted to try his hand (feet) at soccer. His Mama and Auntie were star soccer players — it may just be in the blood. I bought him cleats this summer and signed him up for soccer. His Mom is now a Soccer Mom. He’s been to at least three practices and loves it. I have been holding back — I don’t want to jinx it or over-praise him. I want him to find himself out in the world. I want him to have the best fun, to learn how to be on the field. So find me at the soccer field today, happy to be there.

The rest of my family Celeste and her husband, Chris along with my grand girls Paisley and Quinn will come visit me this weekend. There will be fun. I bought two industrial bubble makers. One for the front door and one for the back door. I have been wanting this for twenty years. I made it happen this year. Yay! It truly is the small things.

We will just be doing family fun things. Girly things. There will merry-making. Art-making and just plain being silly. I have not figured out my weekend attire, but it will be colorful.

I will go over to visit and to help celebrate my friend’s Judith Prince’s 80^th birthday. She has been a tireless community servant here in the Upstate.

No dance party this year, my body is not cooperating but know that is a goal. I want to have a funk dance party one day to commemorate my first concert and Greenville Memorial Auditorium in the 70’s. My first concert was Parliament and the Funkadelics.

Today, I am generally interested in just being and seeing what the day brings my way. I have already been blessed by love: so many cards in the mail. This pleases my Virgo Boomer Poet Heart. I love cards and letters. DMs. Inbox’s. Texts. Emails are great too. Yet, I love the handwritten word. I receive all as it’s all done in love, so I receive it.

---

🎉 Glenis Birthday Quests 🎉

Three things you can do to help me make my birthday more beautiful:

1. Call someone today that has been on your mind, but you’ve been too busy to talk to them. Not a rush call on the way to do something else. Make a dedicated space to talk with them, even if it is only 5–10 minutes.

2. Spend some time outdoors and identify one flower or plant that sparks your interest. Bonus points if you identify a new plant. Take a photo or draw it.

3. Dream about one action item of joy that you want in your life. Write it down. Plan today to make it happen. If it involves money and you don’t have the money, plan anyway as if you have the money. It could be visiting a place in your town — a museum, a park, a show, or that new restaurant. Or maybe take a class.

(My favorite thing to do is to visit my city and my state as a tourist.)

---

This past week, as I completed my South Carolina State Park tour, I drove across to the most eastern part of the state then back through where I was born in Sumter, South Carolina, 62 years ago. On the way home, I went backroads. It took me through my Mama and Grandmother’s birthplace: Laurens and Waterloo

.

I could feel my maternal foremothers gracing me on the final leg of this tour. I could feel their hands through my hair, stroking me. It was an act of pride and love. I know their hands are upon me in all my creative endeavors. I know in all my steps, they have empowered me to keep stepping — especially in places it was not legal for them to do.

And now, with this rollback of African American History and erasure of our stories, the barriers this government is trying to throw up, it is more important than ever for me to show up in ways that are personally and collectively meaningful.

---

I digress. Please let me know if you do any of the Birthday Quests today or this week. It will fill my heart fuller than it already is.

Remember Bloomer, Bloom Anyhow!

Yours-in-Verse,
Glenis 🌺