56.

Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me…Happy birthday dear meeeeeee….

It’s my birthday. I’m 56 today.

Considering all that’s happened in the past year, I would say I’m pretty lucky to have gotten here. And grateful,

Do I miss my “old self?” Yes, I do.

Am I so happy that I’ve had this time to reconnect with my family and friends and loved ones and discover what’s really important to me?

You’re goddamned right I am.

And, so, I celebrate.

David has been dying for it to be my birthday for a couple of months now. Birthdays are a big deal to him, and he can’t understand why I am not climbing the walls with excitement about it.

I told him that when you get older, there’s not a whole lot to celebrate.

But, you know what? I’m pretty happy today. I have a lot of love in my lfe. And I do have to confess, it is pretty nice to be the center of attention for something good, as opposed to it happening because people were worried whether or not I was going to die.

And, so, I am thankful. For all of you. For this. For my loved ones. For the universe. For my community. For the time I have. For Jimmy.

All of it.

Happy birthday to me, indeed.

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As always, if you have it in you, please give a thought to donating time or money to Hospice Austin. They do amazing work for people who are going through the hardest thing a person can face.

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