on the occasion of my 44th

I’m a palindrome again!

I’ve waited eleven years to be able to say it, but what’s happened in those intervening years?

1. I got a job working with produce
2. I got a job teaching
3. I moved from a house, to a house, to a house
4. I celebrated two children hitting and passing the decade mark
5. My wife and I celebrated over 18 years together
6. I got a full-time job teaching
7. I wrote and published 5 novels
8. I wrote 9 more novels
9. I completed National Novel Writing Month 9 times
10. I got a lot more grey hair
11. I went to a teaching convention in Baltimore
12. We took a family trip to Orlando last year

It’s funny. As I look back over that time, the things that mattered most were the ones that kept on giving, like moving to this new house, because it gave me this private study, a space of my own to create. It’s no shocker that I’ve been at my most prolific writing since I’ve had this space. My family progressing has also been wonderful to watch. I see my children now and I hardly recognize them. They’ve grown up so much, and they really don’t like me to talk about it.

I guess I would say I’m grateful for this life. Even during a pandemic. Even with so much life behind me. Because I’ve got so much more life to live. This last semester I had some of the best connections with students, yes, during this pandemic. This past year I’ve had so many touchstones for my life, yes, during a pandemic and amid so much other unrest in the world and in this country. And I’m feeling excited for what’s to come, for what’s ahead, because I am appreciative for what’s gone by already.

Sure, life hasn’t been perfect, but I never expect it to be. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs over the years. But as I approach what this 45th year will bring, I am grateful to be able to even see it. Nothing is promised, and I know that now more than I ever have before. So, here’s to my 44th birthday, and here’s to my 45th year of life.

I’m ready for you.