a couple of weeks ago I turned 30. I had prepared myself for huge issues - getting older, not having achieved anything on my list of "Things to do before I Turn 30" (apart from get married to the man of my dreams! - can you tell the list was written when I was about 15?)
I never take much stock in birthdays - I spend ages before hand shrugging my shoulders at friends who want to know if I'm doing anything, and asking what I want.....
And so this year, being the big 3-0, I decided to make more of a deal about it.
Phone best friend, ask whether she's free on weekend before or after said birthday. She's busy on both - dinner and babysitting The Nephew.
Phone friend number 2, same questions. She hadn't thought I'd be doing anything so they'd made other plans.
So I quit phoning people!
Enter issues. Nobody loves me, it's my BIG birthday and no-one kept the date.
Enter husband: Why should people make plans for this one when you never do in any other year...
he had a point!
so I gave up on birthday plans. I would issue about it all by myself! I would celebrate quietly with a glass of wine, a good book and a deep bubble bath. I would be one of those amazing free spirited women who doesn't mind about These Things. I would be Grown Up about it all.
Only the husband had other plans. I was told to be dressed up on the day of my birthday and he whisked me off to see WarHorse (which I had been trying to get tickets to for ages) and at interval he'd organised champagne for us. I loved every moment of the evening.
The weekend hit and I started issuing again about No Friends Having Kept The Weekend Free. He reiterated his previous arguement and offered to take me to dinner and a movie. Dinner at Ninos - my bestest restaurant ever!
It was quiet - except for the roudy crowd in the corner.
second glance at the crowd - looking very familiar
Third, rather long hard look, thinking "what are that lot doing here?"
wait for it....
"bing" light bulb!
it was fabulous - they'd all come - all of them. My husband had organised it two months ahead, as it turned out, and it was brilliant. Lots of chatter, great great food, lots of laughing. And then the waiters brought out a cake with "HB" written on it in cream - assuming happy birthday! lovely!
and then, (there was more), when we got home, he handed me a rolled up wad of paper with a ribbon.... letters from my family - cousins, aunts and uncles, parents and my little brother! I read them while sitting on the livingroom floor crying. They were beautiful letters. They were letters of love, of promise, of inspiration. They were letters that filled me and strengthened me.I know some truely amazing people.
And my husband had quietly and carefully planned it all. I had the most special birthday possible and behind it all was this smiling, loving man who had known exactly what I needed. How lucky am I that not only am I married to the man of my dreams (tick the list!) but he knows me that well and loves me that much.
And so, with confidence, I have crossed out the 3 on the title of the list, and replaced it with a 4.
Here's to another ten years. Perhaps I'll get to tick off some other stuff....
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