Losing a part of me

Today is my fiftieth birthday. A lot of water under the bridge. I have been through a lot, and I have survived it all. I am grateful for what I have and for who I am, and for where I am. Could it be better? In some respects, yes. Could it be worse? In many respects, absolutely.

I started the morning at the doctor’s office, with some amazing news. I had said yesterday that I was hoping to have lost at least four kilos. I lost nearly five kilos since my last weigh in! Over 10.5lbs in the month which included so many opportunities to cheat and to fall off the program. Yay!

The doctor also gave me other good news, most of which I will not share. Suffice it to say that I came back from the appointment happy, and I even brought the love of my life a pink drink from Starbucks, which cost me nothing because they give you a drink for free on your birthday!

It was one year ago today that I was asked if I was daft. A year later I am married. Hopefully I am less daft than I was, but I know I will still do stupid things.

So many people rue birthdays. Getting older is not fun, but it is better than the alternative. In my original chosen career path, I had a few friends who did not get to grow old, and I think it would be an insult to their memory for me to treat my birthday as anything but a celebration… and a memorial to them. This evening, Leslie and I will go for a lovely steak dinner. I will have a piece of birthday cake because… yes, I can. Afterwards we will come home and sit on the patio, and I will smoke an absolutely incredible cigar from my Unicorns Collection… the cigars that are over twenty years old, and each one is extra special not only because of its age, but because of the story behind it.

I am so blessed to have my wife here to celebrate with me, and this evening will be just us. Saturday afternoon some of my friends are throwing a bit of a party for me, and that will be delightful. For today, Leslie and I will celebrate quietly… if indulgently!

Have a great day folks!