A year ago I was hauling logs on Rum for our first island winter. This birthday, I held my newborn son on the mainland and wondered how life changed so quickly, says Elle Duffy

I’ve always loved birthdays. I love the occasion of celebrating a person simply for being born. My birthday is the day after Bonfire Night, and growing up I always marvelled at the fireworks, believing them to be lighting up the night’s sky purely to celebrate little old me. I didn’t care for the sound they made, and I’d often hide in the cupboard under our stairs, but with every bang and pop, my hands would clench over my ears tighter, while my smile grew wider.

I recently celebrated my 27th birthday in much the same way as I usually do - a wonderfully casual day complete with new knits, chocolate cake and a glass of wine. But this year, something was different. I was different.

This is my second birthday celebrated while living on the........

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