Happy Birthday To Me...

Y'all (as we say in the South),

Turning 25 is such an interesting feeling. It's not particularly a noteworthy age, other than the fact that I can now rent a car and hopefully my car insurance will go down (thanks to my sister-in-law for reminding me of that positive note...).

While, this year's anniversary of my birth is not particularly a hullabaloo in itself (the cop is on patrol today, and most of my friends, I suppose, are occupied elsewhere), it is a nice day to simply be still and reflect on how far I have come and how much I have learned over the years.

While I don't consider myself a super-successful business woman by any means, I am quite over-educated AND I have a job, which has to count for something. I have managed to keep my weight down in the past decade, as well as learned to love my body (not an easy goal to reach). And while I haven't necessarily held onto my skills as a dancer (although pirouettes still come naturally), I am thankful that I managed to retain the strength and grace of one.

I have overcome many fears, including heights, being alone, and spiders. I have found that I don't need other people to make me happy, but that it doesn't hurt to have a nice companion on life's journey. While my husband is my best friend, there is also nothing like an non-opinionated canine to love you unconditionally too.

I own and can shoot a revolver, I can sew buttons and hems, I can bake like no one's business, and I can drive like a bat out of hell (safely, of course). I'm no stranger to HTML and aperture settings, and I can run in a pair of high heels. I've learned to love coffee and beer, both in moderation, and not necessarily at the same time.

I'm slightly addicted to Facebook and watching Glee on Hulu as time allows, but I love a good sunset and a glass of wine, especially when it's shared with someone else. I've found there is nothing like the feeling of kayaking over swift rapids; or the feeling of a new pair of jeans; or even the feeling of a cold puppy nose waking you up in the morning.

People I have met or known have overwhelmingly changed me for the better. Through friendship, teaching me to live; through deception, teaching me to be discerning; through love, teaching me to love; through hardship, teaching me to persevere; through support, teaching me to be strong; through hurt, teaching me to forgive; through God, teaching me to be humble; through loss, teaching me to let go; through the worst, teaching me to appreciate the best.

I can scrapbook my entire life in photos. But the best memories I have cannot be described in pixels or words. They are made up of ideas, laughter, and warm fuzzy feelings that are permanently etched into who I am - events and people who added so much more to me than I could ever give in return. Even memories of mistakes, sadness, and hurt cannot overshadow the good and eventually fade into oblivion as I age and my brain makes room for more good to come.

Here's to the journey to 26,
MJ