29 Years Awesome!

I’m sitting here in my jammies eating orange sherbet and watching the Golden Girls (A Piece of Cake) to celebrate my birthday. Whoohoo, celebration! Later today I’m going to have lunch with my bestie and his three kids at my favorite restaurant, (not gonna lie, it’s Burger King) and revel in their energy and laughter.

I spent a lot of time last night reflecting on where I am and where I’ve been and wearing I’m going. This last year I’ve done a lot of growing up, more than I thought I had left to do really. Don’t you love when you have it all figured out right up until you don’t? While those challenges and changes were on the whole, rather unpleasant, they were all desperately needed. I enter my 29th year feeling grateful and joyful and happy to be here.

Here’s a message I think we all need to hear.

Happy birthday. You’ve made it through another 365 days of loving, living, laughter, and tears. It seems unbelievable that so many life experiences can be held in something so passing as a day, yet those experiences do not pass. They sink inside of your skin, slowly molding and transforming you into who you are.

You are an extraordinaire human being. The years that you have lived have changed the course of the world for so many. Do not ever doubt that you’ve made a difference, a good difference, a needed impact on the world around you. Your presence has touched lives. No difference made is too small.

We are all ripples. 

Think of the laughter you caused as a child on the playground, the camaraderie and secret-keeping. Think of the love you gave as you grew older, the first loves that shall never be forgotten. There have been kisses and kindnesses and warm hugs. Shoulders cried on and comfort given. Wise words of advice that inspired courage. You are wonderful in so many ways.

Mistakes and heartbreaks that you never thought you could recover from, but you have and you are, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. They were paint that colored your canvas, giving you more depth and texture, making you richer for having struggled.

As you go forth breathe with intention. Know that each day allows you to grow into who you were always meant to be. Each day is also a chance to change who that is. You have the power to manifest whatever you want in your life, it just takes a bit of elbow grease but you’ve got the gumption. Know that the darkest days have light at the end of them and wisdom in between and are worth getting through even if you don’t think you can. You can. :)

Happy birthday to us all!