Not Looking for a Celebration — I AM a Celebration Looking For a Place to Land!
This is my friend, Debbie Moutsos! I do hope you’ll meet her someday because you’ll know you have met a celebration when you do. Several weeks ago she sent out these birthday invitations to her own party. From Woodstock to Medicare — Debbie is Turning 65.
Last night was that party — and it was everything she had hoped it would be. So many friends from around the country came to celebrate this full-of-life gal. One of her friends stood up to talk about her. She said, “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who was so excited to turn 65 so they could get Medicare!”
It’s true. I’ve heard it said many times “I can’t wait until I’m 65 when I can get Medicare!” Those of us who were paying those high dollar insurance premiums monthly, can wholeheartedly agree with Debbie. I sure did. We paid into that benefit and it sure feels rewarding when we must have a doctor appointment, a procedure or even a hospital stay and we read “Bill Paid in Full”.
Ever hear someone complain or be sad because their birthday went way under the radar. It seemed everyone forgot their special day and it made them feel so unappreciated. It even caused them to go into a deep depression. That’s because their happiness depended on others and what they did or didn’t do for them. In Debbie’s case, she didn’t wait to be celebrated. She prepared, organized, paid a substantial amount for the incredible meal to be catered — a 5-Star meal at that.
She had a tremendous band there — which created the desire to dance and sing along. Debbie danced with just about every man that was there — young or old. She even announced “I’ve lost 20 pounds because of my water aerobics class (her instructor was at the party) and I’m going to lose 20 more because I’m looking for a man!” She has no filter! LOL!
The fact is, Debbie could have easily taken the money she spent on this party and gone on a cruise or extended vacation, but instead, she wanted to extend her love and appreciation to her friends and family — far and near. With or without a party….Debbie always is The-Life-of-the-Party! You can hear her laughing from afar.
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Why am I making such a big deal about Debbie’s birthday celebration? Because, she taught me something. When she moved to Tulsa from South Padre Island two years ago, she had one friend here. She had to start all over with meeting new friends. She did and last night — she expressed how much she loves her Hyde Park Family!! She was willing to get out of her comfort zone and start over again with new friends. Proverbs 18:24 says “To have friends, show yourself friendly.” Debbie has got that down pat!
In life, it’s easy to get stuck on a “What about me?” mentality. But then comes along a Debbie who, instead of saying “What about me?”, says “It’s all about me — so let’s throw ME a party!” That’s how I want to live. I want to be a celebration just looking for a place to land — so let’s start NOW….planning our gratitude and thanksgiving party! I’m sure the whole town will want to be there….because we’re just that kind of fun-loving, fun-acting and love-giving kind-of-people!