Decade Up
1. There is a verygoodfriend I met in Michigan who taught me a lot about organic chemistry and also taught me about superstition. There is this notion that the way you live your birthday says a lot about the way the year is going to go. Upon learning this thought, I have since kept track of my emotions and activities of the day. Last year on my birthday I spent the morning watching the sunrise, from an island, was given exercise clothes as a gift, flew on an airplane for hours, said goodbye, met a new roommate, ate dessert, and thought about life. Because your birthday tells your fortune, this year I watched many more sunrises and sunsets, did a lot more camping and adventurous activities, increased my travel to see family, said goodbye, my new roommate turned out to be a verydearclosefriend, I've eaten oh so many desserts, and have done a fair amount of thinking about life. According to how-the-things-go-if-you-believe-in-superstition, this year is truly going to be great, but maybe also a bit less adventurous.
2. I am overwhelmed with how many people wished me happy birthday, and even more so, how many veryclosefriends checked in to ask about what fabulous party I was throwing and how I was celebrating, because they know me so well (1). I love birthdays about as much as I love sugar. No birthday is ever to be celebrated lightly and important birthdays are to be celebrated even more so. There's been an increase in the sincerity I feel from others today. This sincere love has made me teary on more than one occasion. I'm emotional today, and it's unexpectedly expected, in that, most of the emotions are super positive and joyful and grateful and I'm happy that that is the case.
3. I live my life roughly about 1 year behind schedule. This means that most things that I expect to happen in the year I expect it, end up happening the next year. I am getting better as recognizing this as a pattern, but it is still mosquito-buzzing frustrating. This year lots of amazing things happened that weren't planned. A year from now, I expect my life to be totally different yet again, because this is a readying year, and because I'm due for another huge transition. I'm excited and nervous and optimistic that everything will turn out for the best.
4. Thirty is not the new twenty. There are so many many many good things that happened in my twenties. I was talking with another verydearclosefriend (2) who, as I was expressing a bit of fear about this age and this year, reminded me of all the great things we've both accomplished. On the topic of bucket lists, she was of the opinion that she had done a lot, and pointed out that I had also been quite ambitious with what I had tackled. And so, with that foundation that I have built in my twenties, there is still so much more to learn and grow into and explore (3). When I think about my thirties as holding in it as many wonderful things as my twenties, well, I'm actually a little excited about it.
5. Love. There is just so much of it. It is abundantly overflowing in my life, and I am overwhelmed. Thank you (4).
These are the things I have to say about this presently. I have a hunch, I'll be thinking and feeling things about it for months to come.
(1) In true form, this will not happen for a good month. I, as a matter of habit, do not throw my grand party until weeks after my actual birthday (which ends up making it hard for friends to remember when my birthday actually is).
(2) it's remarkable to me that I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many dear close friends. i am so lucky.
(3) "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." -T.S. Eliot
(4) Really though. With all the gratitude that I have, I am so happy to have you in my life.
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