Happy Birthday to Me
Birthdays are a time of celebration, reflection, and no-judgment sugar intake.
My kind of day.
Here's my review of my latest trip around the sun:
- Best moment. This one is very easy - the birth of my daughter. There's no greater joy I've experienced than welcoming her to the world.
- Best food. I ate good this year (too good as my tightening clothes would say). The best of the bunch was the meal at Ore at Château de Versailles. The setting was impeccable and the pasta dish I had was perfect. Honorable mentions were meals at The Inn at Little Washington, Crane, and breakfast at the St. Regis in Florence.
- Best music. I spent a lot of time with Beyoncé's Rennansiance, Pusha T's It's Almost Dry, and Tyler the Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost, but the album that defined this year for me was not a new one. It was Tems' For Broken Ears. I found myself going back to this album a bunch to find my peace day to day.
- Best show. I revisited Community this year. I had never watched the show when it was on TV and didn't really understand the hype. That changed quickly within the first two episodes. I was also in awe of the way the show pushed the bounds of creative storytelling. Truly masterful. Honorable mentions for best shows were Shrinking, Young, Rich, & African, Knife Fight, and Welcome to Wrexham.
- Biggest lesson. Sometimes it takes a long time to learn how to play like yourself - Miles Davis. Don't make violin music when you're a drum. I've become very clear-eyed on how I want to grow and what I want to see happen because of that growth. That clarity is the lesson and the gift I hope to give others too.
- Theme for next year. Add to the world's wonder. I found that line in a book meant for my daughter that deeply resonated with me. Though the world is infinitely grand and infinitely beautiful, we should still find our own unique ways to add a little bit more wonder to it.
As I look forward, this feels like the year everything comes together. I'm as capable, smart, confident, and motivated as I've ever been. It's time to put all of that to use.
Cheers to another year!