Another Year Older...

Here it is. My birthday. Having completed my 48 year and standing at the entrance way my 49th.

I'm one of those annoying people who really loves to celebrate birthdays, always have and God willing....always will can't wait for the BIG 50.

As I look back to how I spent my past birthday it was vastly different from how I will spend today. But then, my entire life is vastly different from last year...and the important thing is...I wouldn't change one thing.

Last year's festivities were held in my apartment on the 30th floor of a high rise with killer views. We enjoyed catered food (OK, my brother is a chef so I cheat on that), champagne, wines and a tremendous amount of laughter.

This year a good friend is taking me to dinner and then we are heading for our favorite watering hole to just have a great time with a bunch of friends. I'm sure there will be laughter to rival that of the past.

My current life resembles nothing of my past life. Its almost as if I'm two different people...somehow I am. Before you call the men in the white coats to take me away for being this side of psychotic you would have to appreciate that I miss none of what I was. I do miss being around my family and some of my friends back in NY. I miss them terribly. But, I've been lucky in that I have a circle of friends here that have become very special to me. No matter what life brings you its ultimately the people in your life that help you get through it all.

Having gone though a year of painful transitions, its almost as though God took pity and said, "Here, here are some people that will help you get through the troughs and be there to celebrate the peaks." Tonight, we are celebrating peaks.

I look forward to this year, after all, our year begins on our birthdays and not on January 1st, I know that everything that has changed has changed because it needed to make room for the new. The circumstances that allowed me to be here allowed me to bring new people into my life, some of which I would probably not have met if my life in NY was still intact. For that I am grateful.

I don't know how long I will be here. Maybe another year, maybe more, maybe less. I will be open to where life is leading me and instead of worrying about it I'm going to just take every day for the adventure it promises to be.

I openly say thank you to my old friends in NY and my new friends here who have been supportive through my ordeal(s) and look forward to many many more years of laughter and fun.