Today is the day...
Today is the time I have been
waiting for...
Today is the end and the beginning
of a brand new age...
Today is my birthday,
but not just any birthday:
this birthday feels unlike every other
that has come before -
it feels as if I have reached
the summit of a mountain
and I am looking out to the landscape
of my life
and everything and everyone,
who once seemed so close,
now seem so far away.

Today, more so than at any other time,
when I look back and I remember
who I have known and where I have been,
I realise just how much I have lost...
Today, more than I could ever describe,
when I look in the mirror
or when I look at photos from the past,
I see the choices that I have taken
that have changed me and moulded me
into the man I am...
Today, more than yesterday,
when I return to places I know well,
I see flashes of faces and experiences
that appear as if made up of fragments of dust...
Today, looking forwards, I know that
things will never be the same again.

Today, I have the ability to see behind,
as well as to see beyond...
Today, I have the instinct to do
what I always want to do:
to go with the flow
and to not worry about anything,
and to act as if I have nothing left to lose...
Today, as always, I am grateful for my family,
for my friends, for those who have
given me the keys of inspiration
that I use every day to open up
the door of perception and imagination...
Today, I celebrate finally reaching the age
that is the same as my favourite number
and the answer to life, the universe, and everything:
yes, today I am 42.