Reflection on my 50th birthday

Probably, I had not made such a big deal about my birthday ever since I was a kid. I, like any other kid, felt very excited about getting gifts from my parents, godparents, family, relatives and friends. Curiously, I have been making a big deal about my 50th birthday today, because I was excited about receiving the greatest gift of all: 50 years of life.

If you think that I'm a rich man, think again; I'm not. But if you think I'm a happy man, then you got it right. I have had a full life, and I intend to keep it that way. The most important ingredient of happiness? Love. I love and I am loved. Life has challenged me before, and maybe now is giving me the greatest challenge of all, at least in regard to my health. No, there is no diagnosis yet, even less a prognosis, but whatever they may be I can only be grateful for the wonderful gifts of life and love. The rest are just minutiae that I will solve day by day.

Happy birthday to myself, or as the song Louis Amstrong used to sing: "and I say to myself, what a wonderful world".