Well everybody, this Sunday is my birthday!! Woohoo!! I’ll be 33. I am not one of those people who gets frowny at the asking of my age, because damn it all, I look good! So I’ll be celebrating this year over chocolate fondue to Stevie Wonders “Happy Birthday” song. This is tradition for birthdays in my family and therefore mandatory.
Admittedly, my birthday was not something that I went out of my way to celebrate. As a kid of course, but I mean as I got older. I looked at it as just another day and I was older, big deal right. Then I met a wise woman who reminded me that not a lot of people get to celebrate their birthdays and that I should thank God for every one of mine. Upon really thinking on it, I had to admit she was right. My life though it has had it’s bright spots and dark spots, is mine. I’m happy to have it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything or anyone elses.
I was reminded of this a few days ago when I was driving and the song “100 Years” by Five for Fighting came on. I’ve always liked this song. It’s beautiful. But this time it really hit home for me as I took it’s message to my heart. John Ondrasik nailed this one on the head. He put his heart behind this song and he has my eternal love for it. His voice is like warm chocolate. Yummy!
We are only here for a moment. Some peoples moments are shorter than others, but it’s still quite a long moment. I remember being 5 and wishing I was a big girl. I remember being 11 and wishing I was 16. I remember being 16 and wishing I was 21. I remember being 21 and wishing I was 5 again. But time can’t go backwards. Time marches ever forward.
I remember when I learned to ride a bike. My first awkward and accidental kiss. My first friend. My first time. My first heartbreak. My first job. I have so many wonderful and not so wonderful things to look back on in my life. Which is proof that I’ve lived it. There are so many more things that I have yet to do, but as of now, I still have a story to tell.
There have been some questionable decisions in my life. Too many to count. There have been people I have loved, that I’ve intentionally and unintentionally hurt. I’ve gone through many different changes, both outside and inside, in the pursuit of self discovery and actualization. I’ve done things that a lot of people probably never will. Been to places that some people dream about. My experience are uniquely mine and I own, accept and love all of them. They have all been Gods way of educating me and leading me to where I need to be.
If I could go back and change some things, I like to say I’d tweak some things, but that would probably drastically change who I am now. And that isn’t acceptable to me at this point. I like who I am now. Everything I’ve done up to this point has taught me some small thing. One different decision back then and I’m a different person. So I celebrate my birthday, my past, my present. And I look forward to a bright and happy future that only I can bring. And when I am 99, I’ll have that many years worth of things to smile about.
Musical Mashup 