The week after next, I will be celebrating two birthdays- one of Tuesday, and the other on Wednesday. If this makes sense to you, great, if not, that’s okay too. Birthdays are a time of reflection and planning- an opportunity to take stock of the previous year (good and bad), to determine what goals were met, and to set new goals for the coming year. The past 365 days have provided me with an opportunity to grow at light speed- six years of school, training, and exam taking culminated in getting licensed as a psychotherapist. I found a job that I love, and feel passionate about. I moved to a place that is stylish and elegant, and that I have slowly been taking the time to decorate and make my own. I began rebuilding a relationship with my family- reaching out to them with varying degrees of success. This year, I will be spending Thanksgiving with them- the first time I have returned to the East in almost 20 years. I have been single for the vast majority of this year (after decades of relationship after relationship)—I realized that until I got comfortable in my own skin, spending time alone, and becoming the man I want to be, I had nothing to offer anyone else. The past year has been about recommitting to myself, building ego strength and growing up. It was a year that I learned that I could survive some very difficult situations and people without reacting to them (with the exception of AE, but I am, after all, only human): I learned to allow things to run their natural course, and to get to the other side of them, without having to try to control things all of the time. I am still very much a work in progress, but I have become the man I have always wanted to be- secure, kind, loving, intuitive, intelligent and funny (in a sarcastic kind of way). This was the year that I didn’t feel the need to fix myself or get balanced because I no longer feel broken or unbalanced. Sure there are things I would like to upgrade in my life, but I feel very much whole and complete, just the way I am. And to really stand in that accomplishment and mean it is nothing short of a miracle. So what are my goals for the coming year? I want to reopen my private practice (“if you build it, he will come”), move into a more managerial role at my agency, meet my nieces and nephew and become an uncle to them, take a real vacation (to Hawaii or on a cruise) and become open to the possibility of dating again (preferably with someone who has a driver’s license and job). These goals are all very doable, and I have already planted some seeds, and started nourishing them. My other challenge/goal for the coming year is to lose the weight I have gained this year (it’s like I’m a hot dog, and the universe threw me into a pot of boiling water), get back into shape and to be in the best shape of my life by my next birthday (which is a big one- a benchmark). I have one year and one week to achieve this goal, so I can accomplish it slowly and effortlessly. I am ready for my outside to match my inside. I am publicly declaring my commitment, so if you see me eating donuts or junk food, please gently remind me about this note- I will keep you posted on my progress. Well, that’s about it for now- Happy Birthday to me. I am trying to raise $1000 by my birthday for the Van Ness Recovery House through the Causes application on Facebook, so in lieu of giving my anything, please make a donation through the link on my page. Thanks for reading—I am grateful to have every single one of you in my life today. KK
