The greatest gift of all ...

It took me a while to remember it was my birthday today.

I awoke as usual and took in my surroundings.

I was lying in a narrow single bed instead of my usual comfy Queen. There were nasty brown and cream curtains at the foot of the bed, a 70s-style chair and shelf/desk laden with my crap next to it. The bedside table beside it contained the hospital phone, my own phone, water bottle, and presents the kids had given me to remind me of them and “keep me safe”.

That’s right, I was in hospital.

Having birthdays in hospitals suck. (I am an authority, having ‘celebrated my 9^th in hospital after having my appendix out. Actually it was kind of cool as people bought me nicer presents than usual and the nurses gave me a cupcake with a candle in it and sang Happy Birthday.) But where was I? Oh yes.

Birthdays in hospitals suck.

There will be no Gangnam Style dancing in my quiet street of Brisbane tonight I can tell you. (At least, not anywhere near my house!)

There will be no celebratory quaffing of cocktails, made with mangos fresh from our own trees. No clinking of glasses beneath our rustic gazebo, keeping an eye out for snakes and an ear out for mossies.

No instead, I shall be spending another night in the hospital room that costs more to stay at than a suite at most luxury hotels. (Thank Goodness I took out private health insurance all those years ago).

And instead of moaning that I am here, I shall be thankful that I AM here, getting the treatment that I need.

That I am here at all, ready to go home to my kids as soon as I get the okay.

And that’s the very best present a girl could ask for really, isn’t it?

And just because it's my birthday, I'm ending with my kids' fave spoof version of Gangnam Style: Minecraft Style. If you have kids who are into Minecraft and you haven't already seen this, you will love it!

Cos it's my birthday and I can dig if I want to:

http://youtu.be/u9emjalsOsE