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Although my physical birthday falls on February 23 since… how many years? (wink wink)… festivities started a good month before. This is because I am under the belief that when it comes to celebration, why place limitations on it. Why celebrate one’s birthday just a day? Isn’t that a little stingy? Why not two days, three days, a week, a month, a year, or… eternity! 

When friends began asking me last month what would I enjoy as a present, I thought, hmm, you know this year there is no greater present I can imagine than meditating with friends. So, together with Svaaha, we invited a small group of the New York City center friends, as many as we could comfortably accommodate, for two days of meditation at the house. And of course, celebration! In fact, it was the most perfect, divine balance of Buddha and Zorba. And although everything stayed within moderation (more or less ;+) it is a good thing I forewarned the neighbors as Dynamic and Mandala Meditations Sunday morning definitely shook the floorboards! 

Our dear friends from Virginia, Vasanti and Anam, “surprised” me with their visit coming all the way from Virginia. And our youngest attendee, Rakesh, spontaneously took a jump Sunday afternoon and became Anand Puneet (blissful innocence). I think it must be the first sannyas celebration ever in the State of Connecticut. So, what started as one birthday celebration became TWO. A double-whammy so to speak!

Festivities came to a soft landing Sunday evening at our local tapas place with those few friends remaining. I don’t think after this weekend the State of Connecticut will ever be the same. I’ve added some captions to the photos. And I want to say THANK YOU to everyone — especially beloved Svaaha — for making this birthday my best EVER. In fact, if getting old is going to be this much fun, I think I’ll try to stretch-out things out a little more… perhaps indefinitely? Hahaha … Is this being shameless? Actually, at my age (now how old am I?) I can say on my own authority: Who cares?

Finally, some words from Osho on birthdays. And thank you, Puneet. You took a jump and reminded us all of something essential<3

“… This second birth is the real birth. The first birth is not the real birth; it is only an opportunity for the second birth, that’s all. If the second birth happens, you used your first birth. If the second never happens, then the opportunity was lost. The first birth is only the birth of the body and the mind. The second birth is the birth of your spirit, of your soul. And unless you know something of the innermost eternal core of your being, you have not known anything… Each moment should be a new birth.” paraphrased from “Nirvana: The Last Nightmare #7”