Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday….I’m now 31. I had a nice day spent with my family and hubby made it really special for me. My in-laws called and sent something in the mail, friends remembered, and I felt special.

With that said, it’s so strange having a birthday as an adult. Birthdays become less special and somehow the magic wears off. Birthdays become actual work. Last year I had a big 30^th celebration where I invited my best girlfriends over for a brunch and we painted ceramics together. It was a blast. In comparison, this year was quiet and reflective.

I swear each birthday I’m visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Sometimes I like what I see and sometimes I want to wipe the slate clean and start over. I’m not a New Year’s resolution sort of girl, so birthdays are the time where I really take time to digest.

Let me first start off counting my blessings. I have so many things that I am thankful for. My hubby is amazing, my children I adore, and I’m so thankful for the many kindred spirits I have befriended. I’m thankful for my health, my husband’s career, and our home. I’m thankful to have had many opportunities of learning and awareness.

I’m also thankful for the many lessons I’ve learned this year. I’ve learned the mantra, “it is, what it is” when I come across a situation that I can’t change. I’ve learned to surround myself with positive, loving people who try hard to move forward. And thanks to Little Man, I’ve learned more about superheroes than I’ve ever expected.

My immediate family continuously brings a smile to my face. My kids are getting so big and are now out of the baby stage. They can carry conversations of their own and have started their own social circles and school life. It has been wonderful to watch their progression and they are such a joy. However, my children and hubby are my life, which haunts me a bit. For someone who doesn’t have kids, I think it may be hard to understand, but both hubby and I are consumed by our children’s wants and needs. It’s been really hard for me to manage since I constantly feel the pressure of time as well as the want to be independent. I don’t ever want to loose my identity nor do I want to have an identity crisis when my children leave the house. And I really want to be successful! I have the creative drive in me that screams…”share what you create, do something, and do it now”.

I don’t know what that “something” is, but if you have any ideas…I’m all ears!