Knowing that I am a Kindle reader, my daughter sent me the perfect birthday gift today:

The term “bookses” comes from her, when she was four years old, as on this picture taken on my 33rd birthday, when we were always reading together:

Daddy, I put out the bookses for you.

Today is my birthday, and somehow on birthdays I am more aware of life’s passing and the immense value of every day of health and happiness I am given. I also have this thing about numbers, and while I am not into numerology, I am critically aware of dates, events, time passing and such.

It may be because of this, that a friend’s email this morning said:

Born in ’56 and now you are 56. Hope you celebrate in style.

This obviously only happens once in everyone’s life, at best. And it’s more likely for people not born in the 1980s and 1990s, since they have to wait a long time for that event.

I also think about the value of time. I am way over my 20,000 day mark now. I estimate, if good health, good habits and good maintenance continue to bless me, I have another 10,000 days. In 10,000 days I’ll be about 83 years old. So let’s just say I have 10,000 days left as of today.

That’s not a lot. When I go to sleep tonight, and wake up tomorrow, it will be only 9,999.

What I do tomorrow all of a sudden matters a great deal. What I focus on, what I think about, what I share with others, how I live and love.