SWWANs and birthdays

Birthdays can be some of the best days of our lives--or the crappiest. That's as true for everybody as it is for us Single Working Women.

They say at least one of the decades of your life will make you feel bad--but which decade will give you the most grief is totally individual. I remember my sister remarking that 30 was a bad one for her. Some find 50 devastating (trust me, you'll get past that..." ). I think how you react to your birthday any year depends in part on what's going on in your life at the time. Like:

• Did you just become a single mom? In my experience, that event is usually mixed with two profound emotions--joy that you've made the right decision, and terror about how you're ever going to do this! You don't have time to feel too bad; you're just too busy.
• Did you just move to a new city that year? Again, equally mixed emotions.
• Did something in your work life change--you got a big promotion/raise, that boss you couldn't stand finally left? Great stuff, new challenges, or maybe sad because something else didn't happen. Who knows what works on us at these times.
• You started your own business that year--ditto the emotions of becoming a single mom. Heaven knows if you do both in the same year, you're automatically eligible to apply for SWWAN of the year! More here.

So if you're a Leo and you're having a birthday around now, here's to a good one!