It’s my birthday on Saturday. 

I thought I should mention it, so my kids don’t forget. (They know what I’m talking about!).

Actually, it feels a little indulgent to have a birthday under the current conditions. Not that I chose the date of course, but still.

I have a very close friend in Ireland, who I used to spend my birthdays with when I lived there. Brid has this belief that everyone on their birthday should do a little of what they want their year ahead to look like. 

So for many years I have done that. I would eat my favourite dessert at a restaurant (to affirm that this year I will eat healthily – okay that is a bit messed up but I knew what it meant), do a bit of exercise (to go with the good eating), have good coffee with a friend (because everyone needs good coffee and ditto re friend), spend some time with my  kids (they remain my best friends), buy myself something nice (to affirm that I need to make money) and take a walk in nature with my dogs (to remind myself to… well, walk more in nature with my dogs).

Clearly, under the current circumstances, I can’t do any of the things that I have been doing in previous years, so in anticipation of this year’s birthday, I have been thinking a lot about what I want my coming year to look like.

This is what I have come up with:

Firstly, I want to be more thankful. Not just the write-in-my-diary type of thankfulness. I also want to say thank you. So let me start today. I want to say thank you to all the cashiers and staff at my local Spar in Vredehoek, who so bravely keep on serving us, even though I can see the fear in their eyes above the masks. Thank you to the council workers who still collect my bin every week. Thank you to Michaela Adonis and her team from the Cape Town City Council, who came to fix a water leak late at night in howling wind. Thank you to Hadley Cogill from Active Plumbers, who spent hours yesterday fixing my leaking toilet. Thank you also to all the medics, hospital cleaners, police and other essential personnel, who ensure that our lives can still go on.

Secondly…