When Your Age Feels Like A Really Special Number

​If your milestone birthday must fall on a workday then working at a school is the place to be. Usually I go to great lengths to ensure my age remains a mystery. This stance provides many a teachable moment for students who are still working on their sociably-unacceptable-things-I-shouldn’t-ask’ filter. ‘How old are you, miss?’ is always responded to with, ‘a lady never reveals her age’. However, on this happy occasion I have been making allowances to let them know that in my world the view looks really good ‘over the hill’.
I must add nothing makes you feel more special than two full class ‘Happy Birthday’ serenades, a junior assembly sing-a-long, one staffroom birthday party with a rockstar chocolate mud cake (which will be talked about with reverence for many months to come) and a desk decorated with a banner and streamers. I’m also suspicious there may have been a secret email circulated due to the fact every single colleague I encountered offered birthday wishes.
On the home front, while homemade gifts from the children have historically been – how shall I put it? – special, gone are the days of waking up and being served a cold milk and butter-less toast breakfast. The kids dug deep and outdid themselves this year. The husband and I are all about nurturing the Arts and I would at this point like to give a sincere shout out to YouTube. My daughter’s fascination with a historical sewing channel helped her created a bespoke embroidered cushion. Likewise, our power-tool operating boy was able to produce some impressive tea light holders. Sure, the youngest may have unleashed his acerbic thirteen-year-old wit by writing this missive inside my card, ‘Dear Mum, now you are old. Just stating the obvious. Next year I will buy you a tombstone. This year I did not have the budget. I love you,’ however, the husband pulled through with a two-day pass to the upcoming Brisbane Writers’ Festival. I am excited to attend and absorb some fresh inspiration.

​Add to this the stream of text messages from dear friends across the various States and seas, which kept pinging in my pocket throughout the day and I truly am feeling the love. As far as I’m concerned, some ages are just a little more special than others and I’m looking forward to seeing what this next decade has on offer as I sit more comfortably in my skin, embrace my foibles and confidently continue to use my voice.