Happy Birthday To Some People I Admire

Today (June 22nd) is my Birthday. I've received hundreds of well wishes and to be honest,  I'm overwhelmed. My birthday also coincides with the beginning of the Zodiac sign of Cancer, which occurs from June 20-July 22. The symbol of Cancer is the crab, which according to mythology was sent to battle against the Greek hero Heracles. The crab was ultimately defeated but was honored with a place in the skies as a constellation.

Regardless of whether or not you buy into astrology, Cancers are special people.

We're not easy to know well, but it can be worth the effort. Here are some examples of Cancers and their amazing achievements.

Todd Rundgren: Todd is a multi-talented and versatile musician who's had more of his share of hits including  'Hello, It's Me', 'I Saw The Light' and 'Can We Still Be Friends', but made his biggest mark as a writer and producer. Rundgren revived a dying Grand Funk Railroad when he produced their smash 'We're An American Band'. Todd also produced Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell", which sold 40 million copies worldwide.

Meryl Streep:  What can I say? Multiple Oscar Winner, perhaps the greatest actress of our time.  Cyndi Lauper: I'm not a big fan of her music, but gotta give her props. Cyndi has lasted nearly 30 years in popular music, where it's a challenge to last more than 4. It's twice as hard for a woman.

Kurt Warner: From bagging groceries & a journey through Arena Football, to 3 Superbowl appearances, with 2 different teams, & 2 NFL MVP Awards, Kurt is one of those great success stories in sports. He's also a great humanitarian, devoting time and resources to Habitat for Humanity and Make A Wish Foundation, among other organizations. Kris Kristofferson: Kris is a Rhodes Scholar, offshore oilfield worker, bartender, janitor at Columbia Records, singer, songwriter & actor. He hasn't taken an easy path, but he can manage a smile.

The late "Pistol" Pete Maravich: It's been said Pete couldn't spell "defense", let alone play it, but "Pistol" could score from the parking lot. To this day, he remains the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history, despite playing only 3 seasons at LSU. He scored 3,667 points, averaging 44 points per game. Pete accomplished all this while playing with a congenital heart condition that wasn't detected until his untimely death.

As much of an honor it is to be under the same astrological sign as these greats, it's even more of an honor to receive all the birthday wishes from you today. Thank you.