Marking a Milestone

Last Sunday was my birthday. 40 years old! With the craziness of my life in that moment, it just wasn't on my mind to write about it here. I'm not a big one for birthdays, perhaps because I spent my childhood not celebrating them (religious reasons) and perhaps because I feel uncomfortable with the attention. It's just another day to me. But a milestone birthday is not to be ignored by family and friends, and I was celebrated. 

Part of "sorting the piles" this weekend included looking at all of the birthday cards I received. Sometimes I save them, sometimes I throw them away - but this was my 40th, I felt the need to do something with the cards. I decided to create a fun collage with the images from them, and cut out the words that spoke to me, which turned into the poem. In the back I tucked the personal notes people had written. This is why I needed to get organized, so I could be creative again! Creating a fun marker for this milestone, with the bits and pieces of my family and friends mixed in, was a joy.

My friends in Corvallis planned a suprise party while I was there, which was a bit foiled by the fact that I disappeared from the face of the earth in the time they were trying to get me to the location of the party. In reality I only turned off my phone for a couple of hours for a massage appointment (wouldn't you turn off your phone?) but it was quite funny the voice messages, emails and Facebook posts that happened in that time. You can see below that I made it, although late, to my own surprise party. It was a great evening of laughter and friends, margaritas and Mexican food, along with the perfect cake made by my friend Becky!

I am truly happy to be 40 years old. I feel like there is so much ahead of me, and I'm no longer weighted down by trying to be something I'm not. I'm just happy to be... me.