It's That Time Of Year Again

I had a birthday last week. Normally I sulk during the month of May, the full duration, worrying about becoming old but this year was different.





Distraction for the first part of the month. With the chaos of a new baby, I didn't give my increasing age much thought and I actually planned on celebrating this year with a family unit (my lil' household) meal out, but my plans were scuppered due to the illness. I slept for the days surrounding either side of my birthday and was barely coherent during it.

It was only today, whilst backing the car out of the drive that it popped into my head that I am now thirty-three. I didn't pout, or huff, but smiled??? Why, o why?

Because...last night, whilst driving back from my home town with a car full of kids, I laughed and laughed and laughed.

The usual family gathering had been an exhausting nightmare for me, the black sheep/outsider and I was itching to get back to my OH to bitch, moan and complain. He had escaped my sister's 18th birthday meal in the local pub and I had no one to pull faces to in agony. I love having someone with you, a partner in crime, that understands how you are feeling about what is going on around you, all that is required is a look in their direction and they "get it."

I got into the car and my 10 year old daughter looked at me. It was that knowing look. She got it all! She understood how annoying I found my Gran, how much I didn't want to accept another "carrier bag of crap" and how much I hated the snotty step-cousin for giving me the evils all evening. She understood it all.

So did my 8 year old daughter.

Accelerating out of the car-park in haste to get home, they unleashed their observations of the event.

It was brilliant.

We were all on exactly the same wavelength and we mocked and giggled and sniggered and dissected the evening, the whole journey home.

For the first time I looked forward to getting older, I looked forward to them getting older. It dawned on me that I will have these amazing teenagers/twentysomethings/adults in my life that I completely relate to, all similar and "in tune" with one another.

We shall have a blast.