Reflections on Turning 30 (Tomorrow)

I found this quote from Lord Byron about turning 30. I think I’m going to ignore it.

I always looked to about thirty as the barrier of any real or fierce delight in the passions, and determined to work them out in the younger ore and better veins of the mine --and I flatter myself (perhaps) that I have pretty well done so --and now the dross is coming.

I turn 30 tomorrow, yikes! Have been dreading this one though. An age marker hasn’t bugged me so much since 27, so I guess that is only 3 years . . . hmmm. Well, never mind . . . I love birthdays, I mean I LOVE them. I think everyone should always have just absolutely fabulous birthdays. I just love having one day that you can revel in yourself. Especially since as a mom that opportunity seems to be getting fewer and far between. And I know that one you should revel with caution, you don't want to revel in your awesomeness all the time; you wouldn't have many friends probably nor would you have time to be one.

What are your favorite birthday memories and/or birthday traditions? 

One of my favorite birthday memories is turning 16. When I turned 16 my mom sent me flowers to school on my birthday and my dad traded appraisals to get me a car. I love that birthday. My parents went crazy out of their way to make me feel loved and special and it is just now as a mom that I get it. Don't you wish you could go back in time and just shake yourself!    

I had no idea then what life had in store for me. I thought I would be a world-famous doctor-astronaut-traveler and be rich and famous. I did not see myself turning 30 in Nebraska with 3 babies and a hubby nor would I have ever thought that it would take me 8 years to get my Bachelor's degree, or that my kids would come so fast (though I'm pretty sure God had a hand in that, he knows me so much better than I do myself) but here is one thing I know as I turn the big 3-0; I am truly content with my life. I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything. I love my husband, my kids, my family, friends and my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I know that I have been looked after and guided and protected much more than I could ever hope to know or appreciate. 

I have had many great and fantastic birthdays in my life but I’m hoping that I can make 30 the best yet. It’s already been pretty fantastic. My mom laughs at me that I’m making every weekend of November a party. She took me to Kansas City last weekend for Time Out for Women (which was incredible in so many ways) and this weekend Sean and I will get to go on a date (and I know what he got me but I’m not supposed to and it’s pretty great). I get to see my brother and his family whom I haven’t seen in a long time on Monday and then next weekend I get some pretty important visitors from Vegas and we are going to Twi-Hard J. It’s pretty fantastic. I’m so blessed.

I love this quote from T.S. Eliot, “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time.”

I hope that in my next decade and hopefully forever I don’t ever stop exploring.

I'm going to go enjoy the last day of my 20's.

Love,

Apes