Happy Birthday to me.

Last week was my birthday. Tomorrow is Mother's Day. In just one week, two days are set aside to celebrate my life and my motherhood.

I am struck by how lucky I am in my life. We live in a safe country, state, city and neighborhood. My kid has many friends on our block which he loves to play with. He goes to a good public school. We can pay our bills and both Stan and I have stable jobs.

Seriously, my biggest concerns are:

1. Credit card debt (how fast can we pay it off?)
2. Losing weight.

Those are not huge concerns in the grand scheme of things, especially since #1 was achieved by means of not putting Noah in daycare the first 5 years of his life. Yes, that was a HUGE sacrifice on our part, but we are proud that Noah was cared for by his parents vs. strangers. We got to experience all of the stages he went through. We didn't miss a thing, and for that, we are grateful.

And #2? Well, that is my own fault. Such is life, and all that jazz.

Seriously though, I am happy. I have learned a lot in the past year and gained insight and focus that make me feel wiser. I have gained friends that drive me to become a better person, to use my talents, my education and my skills. These people also make me laugh, which is especially useful when I am crying.

I know this is all maudlin, sentimental sounding crap, but I really do feel that 35 has been a year of growth and preparation for action. 36? You better watch out!