Hey, at least you have an inner circle. And thank you for the well wishes. I don't even have a circle anymore. I'm off balance with the loneliness and solitude for sure. Me and my haughty posts giving others advice I won't even follow.

Yes, it's a lonely birthday this year. But maybe I brought it on myself. I stopped keeping in touch with people and friends, including relatives I felt disconnected from. I'll take "Self-fulfilling Prophecy for $500, Alex.

Silly platitudes bombard my mind in stressful times like these, such as "if a door doesn't open, then it wasn't your door," to "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger." I'd like to swordfight the people who wrote these.

I used to care about my birthdays. In my 20s, when I had a stronger inner circle, I'd plan my birthday party in a public venue like a restaurant or club and invite tons of people to them, which was fun. But then in my 30s, that practice ended as my social life dwindled. Now I'm closer to 50 than I care to be. And my life's not at all what I imagined it would become. (Oops.)

I'll figure it out (I hope). Hopefully, I'll land on my feet this year. Thanks again for responding to my silly, self-pity-filled post.