I'm 55, and I still have emotional reactions that I know stem from stuff that happened when I was in high school, or even younger. Most of the time, I'm self-aware enough to keep them from getting the upper hand, but if I'm blindsided by something... not always.

You started from a much-further-down position than I did, and you've had less time to work on it. I think the work you have done is little short of amazing; it's been a real privilege to watch you turning yourself into the woman I always thought you could be. There's nothing wrong with thinking about the progress still to be made -- but do yourself a favor, and also think about how far you've come just in the last 4 or 5 years.

And, perhaps more importantly, Happy Birthday!