41

Last night, I dreamt that two strangers asked me how my nose got so crooked and misshapen.

“I don’t exactly know,” I said. “I got hit a couple of times and I sleep on the right side of my face. I have a perforated septum. I guess that’s just what happens to a nose after 41 years.”

As I began to wake from the dream, I felt a little sad for my nose that will never be straight again.

In the darkness before sunrise on my 41st birthday, I lingered on that feeling. As my body rested on the mattress and pillow beneath me, I allowed the full weight of my heart to sink into the sadness.

Why do I feel sad on my 41st birthday?

The answer came: Not sadness. Gratitude.

Have you ever felt so thankful that you couldn’t hold back tears?

I was born with my nose, I didn’t have to figure out how to build it for myself. I didn’t have to teach my nose how to be a nose. I didn’t have to teach it how to breathe or smell. I have never had to spend one ounce of energy convincing my nose to do what a nose does.

From the moment I was born and for every single second of my life, my nose dutifully and faithfully did its job…and looked halfway decent doing it.

Have you ever stopped to be thankful for your nose?

I haven’t.

Until I had a dream that helped me see how thankful I am for a nose that has been such a good nose for 41 years.

I’m not sad about getting older; I’m sad that I’ve missed so many opportunities in my life to notice and be thankful. There have been so many.

So, how do you feel about your nose?

Grace and peace.