So I’m 40 today. I warrants a blog post I guess.

There are two things I want to do to mark the occasion.

The first one is to show this picture of me, because it’s silly in a cute way and I like it.

It was taken a few years ago in San Francisco by one of my best friends. I think one of the reasons I’m so eager to share it (again) is that somewhere deep down, it shows I’m comfortable enough with who I am that I don’t need to disguise myself into a suit and tie, or into “someone cool”, or just in something I’m not. This wasn’t necessarily obvious when I was younger; I’m sure many of you will know the feeling. Also, it’s just an awesome picture!

The second thing is about looking back, and looking at where I am now. Pretty standard stuff when you reach that point in your life I’m sure. In my case, I can’t help but feel incredibly thankful.

• I’m thankful for my parents and family, who have raised me through war and exile, through almost wealth and almost poverty, and who have shown me how important it is to stay the course in finding yourself.
• I’m so thankful for my wife, whom I love beyond words. She makes me whole and I am so lucky to have found her I can’t even understand how it could have ever happened. She’s so beautiful and intelligent and funny that I still wonder how she ever agreed to marry me.
• I have a host of fantastic friends, both offline and online. I’m not only proud to call them my friends, but they’re also such great people that it makes me feel better about who I am for having their friendships.
• I’m lucky enough to have found something I’m truly passionate about, that I’m able to take part in and contribute to in my modest way. And through that, I have found and become part of a community of people, well known or just random listeners, that amaze me every day by their kindness and intelligence and willingness to engage and share their time with me.
• I’m also lucky enough to be working for an amazing company that makes products I not only love but am also really passionate about and proud of.
• And last but not least, I’m lucky enough that I was born in this society of privileges, where healthcare and education are free, and where technological progress makes magic real.

So yeah, I do have everything, and I am so very thankful.

Which begs the question: what do get someone who already has everything? Every year on my birthday, a few of you take the time to wish me a happy birthday, and that is awesomely cool. But how about this: if you want to do a little something for me today, I’d love it if you didn’t just tweet or Google+ of Facebook me, but instead took that time to tell someone in your life you love them. Your parents, or your sibling, or just a friend… Why not? I’m sure most of us don’t do it enough, and believe me, once you have a roof over your head and food in your plate (and maybe a cool smartphone in your pocket), love is really all you need. So come on, go forth and spread the love a tiny bit more today. And then you can tell me about it on Twitter/Facebook/Google+. 🙂

Here, I’ll start: I love you all, and thank you for making my life amazing.