My parents’ Buddhist teacher, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

advised his students to wish one another “Cheerful Birthday,”

instead of “Happy”

“Happy,” he said in his high Oxonian voice, “is a temporary state of being. It’s one side of the samsara coin.” (I’m paraphrasing). “Cheerful, on the other hand, we can understand to connote a fundamental way of being.”

And that’s how you are, KB, or how you seem to be. Fundamentally a.o.k. Fundamentally friends with yourself.

It’s a lot of work, but you’re there: here.

It’s why, of the hundreds upon thousands of amazing people I’m had the pleasure to meet and get to know, you stand out of the crowd (it’s certainly not because of your height).

You’re a warm, grounded, strong yet fun woman. I can’t wait to see what you do with your life.

It’s like watching a beautiful storm cloud, unfurl into dusk.

(You don’t want to miss a minute of it)

So Cheerful Birthday, Lady Budig. You are a lady—a queen-to-be—a gentle warrior whose ambition is tethered to being of benefit to us all.

Go get ’em.*

~

Sending you virtual cupcakes from elephant’s HQ in Boulder, Colorado:

*…and bring Ashi along with, of course.