37 Reasons to Celebrate

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!

I sound just like one of my kids (B still wishes herself a happy birthday months later). By my age, most women are less enamored with the birthday process than I. They ignore, complain, avoid or simply celebrate “29” year after year. I’ve never understood that.

I’m not gonna lie. I do feel older. And not in the gee-I’m-so mature-and-sophisticated-and-sure-of-myself way. In the I’ve-never-felt-so-tired-and-out-of-touch-and-wth-is-that-cracking-noise-my-knees-are-making way. It doesn’t help that when asked, my husband tells people we are “almost 40” and reminds me that “by his calculations, our lives are nearly half over.” Such a ball of sunshine, that man.

BUT, and this is a big but,

(if you just heard Sir-mix-a-lot singing in your head, that’s a sign you are getting old, too)

I wouldn’t trade it. Not for extra time or a younger body or even the ability to start over. Because it’s been a good life and it’s only getting better. God has blessed me with an embarrassment of riches.

He does it so I can spread it around, make the world better, but also, enjoy what I’ve been given.

So Happy Birthday to me!

At the beginnning of the year I chose One Word to represent this year: DREAM. And though I chafed at the cheesiness of the word itself and the project, it’s forced me to see how powerful they can be. I have so many great dreams. And even though I may not achieve every one (especially all my travel dreams), each one is a reason to celebrate and look forward. It’s not the years under my belt that matter, it’s the ones still to come.

37 DREAMS for the years to come:

1. Catch a fish.
2. Try scuba diving.
3. Write a Novel.
4. Watch the Hobbit and all 3 LOTR in one sitting.
5. Tour Europe.
6. Publish a book.
7. Watch the Anne of Green Gables play in Prince Edward Island.
8. Go hang gliding.
9. Snorkle on the Great Barrier Reef.
10. Get a blog post on “Freshly Pressed.”
11. See Les Miserables.
12. Go on an African Safari.
13. Finish my Psychology degree.
14. Spend a weekend in New York City.
15. Kayak with the whales.
16. Walk the Cinque Terre (Italy).
17. Attend a blogging conference.
18. Visit my sister in Boston.
19. Speak to a large audience about something I’m passionate about.
20. Road trip with each of my children (one-on-one).
21. Learn to crochet.
22. Celebrate our 20th anniversary in Mexico.
23. Eat chocolate cake for breakfast
24. Ride a gondola under the Bridge of Sighs (Venice).
25. Spend a weekend by myself, in silence.
26. Take a painting class.
27. Make my own salsa.
28. Take the boy to Disneyland.
29. Tour Israel.
30. Lead the cheering section each time one of my children graduates/gets married/performs/gives a speech/wins an award/cures cancer…
31. Go to Comic-Con.
32. Go on an overnight white water rafting/camping trip.
33. Reach my ideal weight (and stay there).
34. Get a PhD.
35. Become a Grandma.
36. Ride a motorcycle.
37. Celebrate our 50th anniversary with all our family.

So here’s me, tooting my own horn. Kind of obnoxious, but it’s my party so I’ll write what I wanna.

What about you? What dreams are on your bucket list? As soon as I cross a few of these off, I’ll need to add some more…