Barking Space

Birthday Girl

A friend of mine recently turned seventy.

This woman is simply amazing.

Not only is she vibrant and fun, she’s also driven. For instance, she just received her black belt this year. That’s right. THIS YEAR.

She is an inspiration to us all, a shining example of the saying you are as old as you feel.

She recently threw a party for her birthday and invited her friends.

I was slow dancing with her at one point, and she mentioned that she used to stay out until four in the morning. I joked about her cutting down to calling it a night at three A.M., but she laughed and said that it was because the venue was closing at eleven that she couldn’t stay out longer.

She read us a poem by Maya Angelou that, in my opinion, suited her perfectly…

PHENOMENAL WOMAN

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care.
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Happy Birthday, Eileen. You are an inspiration to us all and you make every day a better one! Thank you for making seventy look amazing!

🙂

Filed under: Friends, Special Events | 4 Comments »