Something to Celebrate

How on Earth does time fly by so quickly?  You blink and you are 60!  Yes, The big 6-0! How the hell did that happen?  Gosh I'm old.  And frankly, I was feeling even older than that after the hellacious year I had struggling with my mom's passing.   Coming back to the dark days of winter in Moscow, I was battling the worst depression I've ever known.  Seasonal Affective Disorder, compounded by grief is not a pretty picture.  I would spend entire weekends never leaving my apartment.  I would just sit, staring into space and then notice that my shirt was wet from the tears that had been pouring down my face.  All I can say is it is a miracle that I clawed my way out of this terrible time and I am truly grateful for the friends who reached out to me.  The only thing positive  I can say about this experience is that it gave me a new understanding of what clinical depression feels like, an understanding of how death might seem like a more positive option than daily despair, and the deepest empathy for people who struggle with their own demons.  Keep fighting the good fight--  there is light to be found.

So I not only made it to a new decade, but I felt like I had won a battle from the darkness to the light. It was time to celebrate. I knew I wanted to do something really offbeat to celebrate this Big Zero birthday, so what to do?  Go somewhere?  Drink champagne?  A photoshoot in Red Square, complete with balloons and friends!  Why not all of the above?  Topped off with a night at the Four Seasons and a champagne breakfast!

When we had finished the photos, I noticed that there were some young high school graduates in Red Square so I thought it would be fun to give them the balloons for their photos.  They were excited!

But wait!  There's more...because you can't have a never-ending birthday if you only celebrate once.  So I celebrated again when I visited my good friends in Norway...

And then I celebrated again when I met up with my best friend in Poland!  Yes, that is a bottle of Dom and yes I had been waiting my whole life to try it!  All I can say is I am a cheap date, because it wasn't my favorite.  But I will say it made for the best mimosas with what we had left the next morning!



So, if I try to think of some life wisdom I could impart from all these 60 years, I would say that the best moments in life come from being surrounded by family and friends.  They give us the strength to make it through another day.  ps--I can't even believe I did not get any photos of my sister and family this summer!  I think it was a bittersweet reunion as we were busy sorting through mom's estate... and are still working on it.  I guess my other wisdom to impart would be to live large (with relationships and experiences) and live minimally (with things) because you really can't take it with you.