This Will Be Quick*

I’m sitting here on my bed in North Carolina, wistfully thinking about my husband. It’s now past midnight and that means it’s his birthday.

I don’t like being away from Karl on his birthday.

Some might argue that it’s just another ‘day in the life.’ But I like to make a big deal out of and celebrate the acquisition of another year of experience under our belts. It’s a measurement. A milestone.

Some years are harder to navigate than others. Some are so delicious that we never want them to end. Some slip by and feel as though they only just started, when we suddenly turn around and they’re over.

All I can say is, I’m grateful to have this man in my life. He’s my partner; my best friend.

We’ve grown together in ways I’m sure neither of us could have imagined when we met 42 years ago next month, not least being the magic we’ve encountered exploring the perspective on life I’m sharing with others this weekend at this Listening Retreat.

I’ll miss him at the retreat this weekend. He’s always been there to hold space with me, to sit across the circle and meet my gaze, to share a smile when I needed it most.

It’s important to me that he know how much I wish he was here. And how happy I am that he’s made it through another solar return.

Happy birthday, my love.