Birthday

It was my birthday yesterday and for once it felt good to say so, to be seen, to have some attention even if short lived and not necessarily by the people you like most.

I went to the baker next door, bought this whole chocolate cake and brought it back to work. I cut it and colleagues asked me "iwhat's the occasion?". "it is my birthday", I said. It was interesting to see their reactions; looking embarrassed, ashamed not to know (how could they when they arrived in the Department 3 months ago?), feeling gulty not to have bought the cake themselves, awkward for unknown reasons...

Inside I felt good, I felt present, I was home, I had just turned 36 and I was doing well. The sun had appeared to greet me after so many grey days and falling rain all night. The wetness of the ground reflected the strong sunlight and sent me signals that we were entering the third part of winter and that Nature has started her slow process of awakening toward Spring.

Later I met up with my friends except for the two closest of them who didn't make it for different (and good) reasons. Had I known it long on advance that they wouldn't be there I might not have organised anything. Instead...

... I did enter a new year without them. I look at this as new beginnings, new horizons, new insights, new way of relating maybe. Instead...

... we were 7 of us around this table sharing a good Spanish wine. For some unknown reason, seven (7) has always been my favorite number.

Seven by four makes twenty eight. 28 is the moon cycle. 4 is the number of stages in the moon cycle (new, first quarter, full, last quarter) and it is also the symbol of wholeness. 7... the rhythm necessary for change from one stage to the next...

It might be time for change and entry into another stage of the cycle.