Three Decades

A weekend of celebration lies ahead as I reach another milestone in my life; Saturday being the last day of my twenties and Sunday the first in my thirties.

It's looking to be a quiet start to my fourth decade, our plans to go for a drive in the mountains tomorrow put on hold due to the heavy rain and strong winds forecast with the arrival of Storm Eric. I think everyone with a February birthday should be entitled to a second birthday in the summer months. 

But I know my birthday will be special in its own way. Tomorrow we will make a cake and let the children help. Then, on the day itself, the weather is supposed to clear up so we may have an hour or two to spend at one of the local country parks, between church and the arrival of my parents later in the day. 

Whenever my birthday comes round each year I can only ever feel gratitude for the time I've had so far. I've never been one for turning twenty-one repeatedly. Three decades seems quite a long time to have walked the earth. 

This last decade has been especially sweet. I graduated from university with a first class degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. I have uprooted twice, moving a few hundred miles at a time and across the border into another country on the second occasion. I bought my first car, and several more  subsequently. I bought a house, sold it, bought another, better house. It's fair to say I didn't do most of these things on my own. I got married to my first and only love. Together we have contributed to the human race, with the arrival of Moth and Ever. My twenties have been nothing short of personal achievement. 

I regret that this isn't the decade that I've succeeded in becoming a published author but it's always good to have something to carry across to the bucket list for my thirties, along with setting up a home business in candle-making. And I continue to write and have ideas and so I hope these will turn into a book someday.

I intend to keep my expectations low for the decade ahead, although I can only wish that my thirties will be just as good as my twenties have been.