For my birthday this year, Rebecca surprised me with tickets to the afternoon concert to hear Irvin Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra at the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s new Segerstrom Concert Hall. This was particularly meaningful for a couple of different reasons.

The first was that I have been wanting to go check out the new concert hall since it opened back in September. Unfortunately, we were out of the country at the time, and since coming back, we have been extremely busy catching up on life. As for the concert itself, I really enjoy listening to jazz, particularly, instrumental jazz. So these reasons alone would have made this the perfect birthday gift.

Another reason, is that we had made plans the evening of my birthday to take part in a celebration for a close pastor couple. So we really did not have much time to celebrate my birthday. And it just so happened that this afternoon slot was the only one available in our schedule which also turned out to be the only showing for this particular concert.

And lastly, Rebecca’s been trying to beat a cold for the past week or so, and I know that she really wanted to take me out to celebrate my birthday. I kept hinting to her that it would be alright if we just stayed at home and relaxed, but she did everything to rest so that she would be well enough to take me out in the afternoon, and then to go together to the dinner later in the evening.

I am truly blessed to have such a loving wife who knows me so well as to pick the perfect gift for my birthday, regardless of how life squeezes us and the time that we have together.