My clearest memory of my birthday last year, was driving my son and some of his friends home from cricket accompanied by their incessant armpit farts the whole way. An hour and a half of armpit farts tends to taint festivities in my experience.
And since then?
Well I joyfully founded Rory's Garden, ran a 12km fun run and became a surf lifesaver. I've mourned the loss of my grandmother, and somewhere in there I continued my lifelong journey of being a wife and mother and trying to be better at it. I finally figured out what I really wanted to be doing work-wise and I'm going for it.
I read this in a book recently: " If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not constantly demanding more from yourself-expanding and learning as you go-you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip."
The writer himself is an ultra marathoner called Dean Karnazes and his book has really highlighted for me that some people are crazy that my 21km half marathon later this year is just one small landmark in what I hope will continue to be an exciting and wonderful year ahead.
My goal of becoming a full time writer doesn't seem so unreasonable now.
My goal of being fit and healthy will, as always, be a work in progress.
The biggest realisation is that I spent so much of my life waiting for the other shoe to drop, for it all to come crashing down, I now know even if it does, I'll figure it out.
I am surrounded by people who love me, who continually encourage me to strive to be extraordinary, to do the extraordinary.
Many of you read my blog. Many of you continue to encourage me, to question me, to challenge me.
Thank you.
And I hope you'll make time to eat some cake today.
Because it's my birthday.
I'd like that.