No, I don’t find birthdays even a little bit sad after 30 🙂 I’m actually absolutely thrilled that I’ve found my place in the world, in a beautiful place with a wonderful man and two incredible boys. Every day brings something interesting, or something that makes me happy (if nothing else, a half-hour afternoon nap with a baby on my chest). And what was my wish when I blew out the candles…? That everything would stay exactly the way I feel right now.

Since I’ve started reliving the baby years, and alongside that, spending my days with teenage Ruben, I’ve discovered such unfathomable consonances that nostalgia inevitably takes hold of me. In another life, in a small town, Rú was still newborn-sized 14 years ago and made me the happiest woman alive. The days, weeks, months, and years we spent together are among the most beautiful moments of my life. I owe him moments that can never be brought back again: shared laughter, the sound of little feet toddling along at dawn, the scent of warm hugs, and the wishes and dreams we made come true. And I can feel how quickly these 14 years…