I Am 30

I turned 30 years old today. What an excellent-sounding milestone. At this very moment I feel positive and strong with so much to look forward to. I have many strong feelings that my 30s are going to bring some wonderful things: perfect health? baby Diamonds? I don't know, but I believe that it will be good. Thirty sounds so grown, so established, so confident, and I love it. I feel that I'm at an age where I can be proud of where I've been, proud of where I'm going, and most importantly proud of who I am in each moment of each day.

I was talking with our next door neighbor – a sprightly woman who is a former nun converted to an atheist (the holder of many fantastic stories). I was telling her how I love how "30" sounds. How it seems like it will be a great age. Knowing the death-facing realities I've been through, she looked at me and said: "Well, you know as good as anyone that any age is a good age. I'm doing pretty well for being in my 80s." And it's so true. Any age is a good age because it means we're here and able to enjoy this wild, crazy and amazing life.



Today in my life I spent the day with my mother, an integral part of who I am, why I'm here, and a billboard of love, reality, truthfulness and humor. I love my mom with all my heart, and I couldn't think of anyone else that I'd rather spend my day with. We enjoyed walking around Elizabeth Park in Hartford/West Hartford checking out the roses in full bloom and the intricacies of the perennial and shade gardens before retiring under the shade of a tree to play some Gin Rummy as the hot sun beat down heating Greater Hartford to a steamy 95 degrees. Then we enjoyed a ladies lunch at the Pond House of roasted pear salad and the chicken salad special with ginger iced tea and a delectably refreshing fresh watermelon margarita.

Craig rolled in from his summer career as Associate Director of the Summer Place enrichment camp in West Hartford and woke me from my luxurious slumber with Sam Dog under the refreshing fan atop the cool leather of our living room couch. When I looked out the window I saw a baller-looking board on his roof rack with a very cool design on it. I knew it wasn't his stand-up paddle board, so I started screaming and jumped up knowing it was mine. And,  yes, I was right. He found an amazing stand-up paddle board for me to ride on my own, and not only that, but it's a specialized one that can be converted into a surf board by adding the extra fins to the bottom. Wow. Amazing. Summer birthdays are the best!

He then took me for an evening out at our town's beautiful bandshell, home of the annual summer Talcott Mountain Music Festival. We listened to the talents of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra play homage to America with the sounds of Sondheim and Brubeck and the night even included medleys from "South Pacific" and "Grease" of which I of course knew every word. The night was capped by a fantastic fireworks show and time spent cuddling on our deck under the summer stars.

Life is good. No, it's wonderful. I can't wait to see what this next decade will bring.