My Birthday Braap

Yesterday was my birthday. It was an odd one this year. Usually, the week before my birthday is the best week of the year. Everything goes my way, I feel on top of the world, I’m winning new clients, freebies and an occasional lottery win. It just seems to flow to the day itself which is filled with energy of good vibes and happiness.

But not this year. The week before my birthday I fell ill. And I still put a brave face on and went out to every event scheduled. Until Sunday evening when I felt really ill and it was the next day that the doctor confirmed I have shingles. It knocked me for six and for the next few days I slept around the clock. I developed sores on the temple of my head and on the left eyelid, the area swelled up and I considered wearing an eye patch just to hide it all.

But I was determined that on my birthday day, Saturday, I will be going for a bike ride even if it was only going to be up and down my street. As it turned out, I was much better by then and I did manage a ride out with my bestie, Emma.

After the ride and before heading home we popped to a 90th birthday party to say hello. This was my friend’s granddad (not Emma’s) and he often comes to the office to see Alex, my friend, so she insisted I come to see him. This man is 90 years old. He is full of energy, he dances twice a week, plays golf three times a week, looks after his grandchildren and takes care of the people around him. And has a girlfriend. He doesn’t look a day over 75. Now if I have half as much vitality as him when I hit 90 then my 45th birthday doesn’t seem bad at all! Mostly because it means I am not yet half way done. And that’s a good thing.

I read recently that we should all take stock and a review of us and our lives at birthdays. Not New Year’s resolutions noone ever sticks to. But at birthdays this seems like a good thing to do and it’s a very personal one, rather than jumping on a bandwagon with the rest of the world.

45 seems a lot and I feel I should have done more by now but at the same time I remember I still feel 25 and for that, I’ve done loads. I’m still learning every day and love discovering new things. This year’s birthday proved to me that I have the best friends in the world. Whilst I’ve cancelled the actual celebration on the day in the evening because I didn’t know if I would be well enough for it, they made my day a very special one, indeed. And we’ll sure have a BBQ soon to make up for it.

My son was away and so I had the morning free to myself to do what I wished. I mention him because he is off to Australia for four months tomorrow and every minute with him is precious. But with him not in the house and me feeling well enough that only meant one thing – a ride out.

And I lucked out because my bestie, Emma, was free and willing to do just that with me.

The route isn’t new, I’ve described it already in my post earlier in Saturday Ride out to Llyn Brenig but it’s where I felt I wanted to go. Those roads were where I wanted to be and having a coffee and a cake by the lake was where I saw myself in my head. We’ve had a fantastic time, the roads were fairly quiet – I believe football was on which was ace for us – and dry, despite the heavy clouds, not a drop of rain fell while we were out.

It was the perfect day in so many ways. When I returned home my son followed soon after and a few friends came around in the evening to help me empty some good bottles of fizz and then we realised Eurovision Song Contest was on so we had that as a background for giggles. I went to bed slightly dizzy from the fizz but mostly from the warm fuzzy feeling inside of knowing my friends are true and amazing and the best in the world.