birthdays

Its my birthday today, my age clicking over in time with the ending of the year. I've never cared much for my birthday, always feels sort of squeezed in there as everyone darts around getting ready for New Year and this year I can be bothered even less with it. Dad warned me that my card was one mum picked up ages ago - she had the habit of seeing something she thought perfect for someone for a birthday, Christmas etc and she'd get it then and put it aside, often months and months in advance (or even years - one of my cousins doesn't know it but she had put aside a certain something for her to be given on an upcoming special occasion, its just sitting there ready). So I opened the card today and there it is signed love mum and dad. And I felt as if someone hit me in the chest with a sledgehammer and that was me out of it for quite a while. I'd much rather have it than not, of course, but it was still bloody hard and I was struggling already (birthday is bad enough but New Year is often depressing at the best of times). Goodbye 2008 - you started so well, with the promise of a trip to Paris and I was very happy. Then you became the worst year of my life and I don't even remember half of it going past because even when I think I am functioning okay I don't think I am and am still running on autopilot a lot of the time. Go away 2008, you're not welcome here anymore, although somehow I doubt 2009 will make me feel any better.