Happy Birthday to Me Part 1

Day 2. My 40th Birthday.
Part 1.

I wake in Rome to celebrate my birthday. A milestone birthday. I hear the chatter on the street below and because we are on the same floor breakfast is served I inhale the scent of coffee, prosciutto, and eggs. And here I thought breakfast would consist of bread, cheese, and salami. It was quite delicious, our food. The pastries were tempting and inviting. Naomi tried a little of everything. I was drooling.
At last night's dinner I tried a piece of bread and immediately broke out in hives. It could have been worse. The gut reaction would have killed my Italian high.
We met a family at breakfast who were also heading to the Vatican. They were kind enough to guide us through the Metro which is actually very easy and located not too far from our hotel, Des Artistes.
Upon entering Vatican City no one could have prepared us for the awe inspiring moment we faced. It was breathtaking. It was magnificent. It was glorious and humbling. And that was only the outside.
Once we made our way through security and the front doors of St. Peter basilica it was as though time stood still and every wrong doing in the past was made right. I could have stayed still for hours and it would have seemed like minutes. The architecture, the statues, the artwork. No amount of picture taking could describe the feelings one gets when in front of these masterpieces. Marc, who isn't even Catholic, needed a moment to absorb it all. We wound our way through the halls and came upon a prayer and reflection room. There we sat for some time in prayer and when I saw the tears in my children's eyes I knew I made the right choice in bringing them here. I prayed and have never felt closer to inner peace than I did in that room.
We attended the Indian service and though there was a language barrier it was easy to follow along. It was beautiful and moving. There were only a handful of people of Indian descent but all of us present were united by one common factor. My heart was bursting with feelings I had never experienced. I wanted to take a moment to drink it in and be drunk with love. Love for my family. Love for my life. Love for the people beside me.
There are some things better left unspoken. There are some moments that should remain private. There are also moments no matter how artfully described one could never truly embrace. I have never been more cognizant of these facts than I am right now.
As each child hugged and kissed me after our time in the basilica I knew this would be a moment for them that will always be cherished. To quote Wicked, I know our lives have been changed for the better. They have been changed for good.