It's after midnight here, and so it is officially my birthday. Normally, I would not make an announcement to anyone about it, and there have been times I have forgotten it because I don't like a big fuss. However, this past year has been rough. 43 was not kind to me. It has been one of the most stressful years of my life. I was reflecting back on this past year and trying to decide exactly where I wanted to go with my life. I was thinking about making healthier choices and taking care of myself for the first time ever. I went to shut off my work phone, and I realized that I had an email from my supervisor. She told me that she knew that I had today off, but would I please do xyz before I shut everything down for the three day weekend. Yes, she sent me an email at 10:30 pm the evening before my birthday asking me to do something on my birthday, a day in which I took off. And, you know what I did? I turned on my work computer, and logged in and fixed what she wanted me to fix, and then sent her an email back letting her know that I had fixed it. I shut my computer down and thought, why in the hell did I just do that? It was not imperative that it be done right then. It could have waited until Monday. I had just gotten home from a 15 hour shift. I didn't get home until 11:20 pm. I missed spending time with my husband and my son. My dogs were all upset that I wasn't home, and quite frankly I am exhausted. I decided that I am not doing it anymore. I am not putting everyone else's needs before my own. I will not allow my job to affect my home life again.I have spent my entire life putting everyone and everything before myself, and it is going to kill me if I continue on this path. So, for the first time in my life I am going to celebrate me and use my birthday as a new beginning. Happy birthday to me!