Wednesday 17 July 2013

Birthday Treat

This year I turned 31. That officially puts me firmly in the brackets of a thirty-something. Earlier this month I filled in a survey online and noticed that my age bracket was listed as "30-50". That, my friends, is middle age.

I'm not quite at the point of having a mid-life crisis, running out and buying a motorbike and then taking off on a Europe-wide drive to nowhere in particular. I am, however starting to take stock of what I have in my life, and just how lucky I am to have it.

First of all, I'm married to an amazing woman in Christelle. She has stood by me and supported me for the last eight years. She has pushed me to be the best I can be, and helped me grow from a shy, ambitionless boy into the man I am today. I know I am not yet the finished article; I still have plenty of growing up to do, but I feel confident knowing that Christelle will be there to share the journey with me.

Then there's Lydia. Words cannot describe how lucky I am to have a daughter like her, so cheeky and so funny and yet so intelligent. She has never been an easy child, and - as I have said many times before - there were countless moments of frustration and exasperation on both her side and ours as she grew from a helpless baby to a near-independent toddler. I swear, if she could change her own nappies she would have moved out by now. Yet every second I have spent with Lydia is another cherished memory, and I would not have them for the world.

I have an amazing extended family with my own family in England and that of Christelle's here in Switzerland, and I know I can count on them all in times of need. My parents have always supported me in everything I have done, and I cannot begin to imagine how I might have turned out if they had not instilled me with such a strong sense of right and wrong, respect and manners. I am lucky to have them in my life, and even though several hundred miles now separate us I feel closer to them than ever before. And as for Chris' family, they could not have done more for me since I moved here, making me feel welcome and showing me their country and their culture.

To make things even better, I have a nice apartment, a car I like and a job I love. What else could a 31-year old man ask for? Well, maybe a little win on the lottery couldn't hurt, but aside from that I really feel like a man who has everything.

So what do you get for the man who has it all on his birthday?

Lydia knew how to answer that question, as she made me a present with her own fair hands (see photo).

She painted a canvas herself and stuck down shapes over the top, creating a colourful piece of art work. This was a lovely present that she was so happy to give me, and it really made my day.

Although she had a little help from Christelle's parents, they included photos with the present to prove it was really Lydia who made it (the little photo hanging under the canvas in the photo). Next step for me is to find the perfect place to hang this in our apartment...

My happy birthday was further enhanced by a lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, the Restaurant des Berges in Vidy. I love this place because they serve delicious filets de perches with fries and tartare sauce, and they are right on the edge of Lac Léman in Vidy allowing for a gentle post-feast stroll by the lake. To top all this off, it was brilliant weather with hot sun and blue skies.

I had a wonderful birthday this year, and couldn't be happier with where I am in my life. The mid-life crisis will have to wait until another year.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Nice blog I think Birthday is a special day in our life so we should celebrate it.
Thank you for sharing us
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