I constantly get weird looks when I tell people that I'm so excited to be 30. Why shouldn't I be though?! Getting older is a natural progression of life and the opportunity to celebrate another year just means that I'm still needed on this planet. My time isn't up yet.
I may be a little more eager than some to leave my 20's behind. It was quite the decade, filled with great memories and not so great memories. Billy and I bought our first house; we welcomed our first born son; Billy joined the military; we welcomed our precious baby girl; we moved with the military and welcomed another bouncing baby boy. It was an exciting few years. I was near death after a medical procedure went wrong; we were in a car wreck with all three kids in the car a few weeks after that; our marriage made it through a lot of ups, downs and separations due to the military; we bought a house and we started to plant some roots. It was quite the roller coaster. I went back to school several times - which was filled with it's own successes and failures. Billy left the military and we made it through a very scary time of unemployment. I've been a stay-at-home mom, a working mom and now back to a stay-at-home mom again. I was diagnosed and treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I went through some heavy stuff, but came out the other side of it with a new understanding of life and family. All of that, and countless more experiences, in just a span of 10 years. I look at all of that everyday with the unwavering sense that it was all part of a bigger picture. If God did all of that for me, with me, through me in just my 20's; I can't wait to see what He has in store for me and my family these next ten years.
So THAT is why I'm excited to be thirty. I'm ready to embrace all the lessons my 20's taught me. I'm thankful to see all of my blessings continue to grow. I'm eager to say goodbye to the failures and the struggles. I'm ready to see what I can do with the knowledge and perspective I received because of those failures and struggles. It really does seem like this completely different chapter for me. I'm excited. I'm anxious. I have limitless ideals, goals and plans for my future. Thirty is going to be fantastic. And even if it's not, I'll find a way to MAKE it fantastic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.