Who shares your birthday?

For some reason, I feel a kinship with people who share my birthday. In our church, I have the same birth date as two people - a new friend named Brandy and an old friend named Teresa (I won’t say how old).

Famous people have the same birthday as I do. Nicole Kidman does (she’s three years younger). So does John Goodman (11 years older) and Josh Lucas (7 years younger) who has been acting for 15 years but only recently became moderately famous in Glory Road and Poseidon. 80s pop-star Lionel Ritchie shares my birthday, as does Darko Milicic, who was drafted between LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in the NBA draft a few years ago (he has yet to pan out). Other notable birthday buddies include guitarist Chet Atkins, Errol Flynn,and Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, who once said: “Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; lick it once and you’ll suck forever.”

Why does this matter to me? I think it’s because we all need to connect with others somehow, so we look for affinity where we can find it. When we’re far from home, we get excited to to meet someone from our state. We want to be identified as Southerners or jazz fans or members of Earnhardt nation.

For me, it’s birthdays. The day I was born - I had no control over it whatsoever, yet it defines me for the rest of my life, telling me when I can drive, when I can vote, when I’m over-the-hill (not yet) and when I’m supposed to retire. So it pleases me to stumble across someone who shares the same defining random day.

The birthday thing is a shallow connection, though - an ice-breaker, a conversation-starter, not much more. How much more wonderful it is to find connection with people who share our deepest and most-eternal quality - our faith in and love for Jesus Christ.

Happy birthday Teresa and Brandy…and you too, Darko (hang in there).

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June 20, 2006 · Filed Under Life

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