Birthday Reflections: Thirty-Eight Years Down

Do you enjoy celebrating your birthday? I love birthdays and tend to go above and beyond to make family and friends feel extra special on their special days. From themed parties, for the kids, to cool gifts, special dinners, and maybe even weekend trips, birthday celebrations bring about so much joy- it's hard not to want to celebrate.

While I love celebrating other people, I don't usually make a big deal about my own birthday. I have, however, had some pretty amazing birthday celebrations throughout my lifetime. My parents always gave me and my sister fun parties, and as we grew older, fun parties turned into nice dinners out, and intimate family celebrations at home. One of my most memorable birthdays was the big 3-0, which we spent as a family in Grand Cayman, playing with sea turtles.

This year, my birthday seemed to feel... different. After surviving 2020, and having a birthday so close to the start of a new year, everything looks different. 37 into 38 taught me so many things... how to find myself, step into my purpose, and come out on the strong side in the midst of a pandemic. It taught me the value of friendship, especially with women. I learned how to lean on and learn from like-minded people who love and support me for who I am. I learned how to work and live with intention and joy. I made a promise to my kids and my husband that THEY would be my priority, and that we would spend more time laughing, loving, exploring, and just being together. I experienced an ever truer and deeper love and appreciation for my family. I learned to stop shaming myself, stop killing myself with an unrealistic workload and learned how to let things go. As I step into my 39th year of life, my goals, expectations, and intentions are high, because I know they are possible. I know my worth, I know I am valued, I know I am loved. I may have a few more pounds on me than I did a year ago, more silver streaks of hair, and more wrinkles, but I'll take them all without complaint if that means I get to keep on living this God-given gift of a beautiful life.