Happy birthday, beautyofgrey!

When I first met beautyofgrey, it was through iampranada, and oddly they both have different user names now. When I met beautyofgrey, she was trying to set boundaries with an abusive ex-, and her divorce was not yet final. She was a young woman in the process of becoming the person she wanted to be.

It's hard for me to believe that today she's turning 30, not because she's not young and beautiful (she is!) but because in the past few years she's gained so much experience and matured so much. When I turned 30, I was just figuring out who I was. I had a two-year-old child and I was going to be pregnant with another in a couple of months. I was confused and unaware and unsure.

beautyofgrey has come through fire and been transformed. She has gone through hell - some of which I have witnessed - and come out of it stronger and more certain.

beautyofgrey is an awesome mom. She and I compare notes and advise each other on parenting children with ADHD.

I strive to emulate her in so many ways...in terms of being frugal and eating mindfully and being independent and having a successful career.

My birthday wish for her is that she take a minute to just breathe and be. I hope she is able to realize how much she has accomplished and how far she has come.

I hope one day Zach and Daniel and Joel will regale each other with wild stories and Aubrey and Ellie will giggle and play together, and she and I can finally meet in person...two moms, doing the best we can...and frankly, sometimes our best is pretty fucking incredible. :-)

Happy birthday, T. You deserve every good thing present within your life, and then some. :-)