Maya reflects on becoming 51 years old and how much life has changed and stayed the same since her last birthday post written six years ago.

One of the hardest realities I grappled with when our kids came home for Thanksgiving was that I had to share them with other people. They were in demand. The short break was spent catching up with high school friends and other family members, plus our daughter picked up a handful of shifts at the place she’d worked the summer before she left for college. Managing schedules and securing quality time together was a bit of a juggling act, and while our time together was wonderful, it was way too fleeting.