Monday Moments - It's good to be 35!

This week is my birthday, and for some reason age has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I think the last time I had a "hard" birthday was when I turned 27. For some reason 27 just seemed way too close to 30. But then 30 came along and to be honest, it wasn't so bad. By the time I was 30, I had reached the pinnacle of my career as the Marketing Director of a shopping center and I had a large amount of expendable income that allowed me to travel, shop and live a very comfortable life style. I got regular massages and mani-pedi's. I owned 60 pairs of shoes, half of which were stilettos. I had a purse that matched every outfit and not a day passed that my hair wasn't done and not a stitch of make-up out of place. In celebration of the big 3 0 I had a group of close friends that threw me a party, I jumped out of an airplane, and I went on a trip to California to soak up some fun and remind myself that life is good at 30. And truly it was good.

But...

Fast forward 5 years and my life has changed dramatically. Now I'm a wife and mother. I've long past the summit of my career; descending as quickly as possible. My new job requires a lot more physical labor, emotional anxiety, and receives very little praise. Any expendable income now goes straight to savings. I no longer fit into my size 6 jeans. I haven't changed my purse in over a year. The last 2 pairs of shoes I purchased were flip flops and running shoes. I spend most days cleaning, cooking, and covered in spit-up. And on a good day I take a shower and maybe put on some mascara.

And...here's the kicker...I think I'm happier than I've ever been and more comfortable in my own skin than I ever thought possible.

There's the old saying that "the grass is always greener on the other side", well I've been on both sides and for me the grass is greener right were I am. I may not have taken the conventional route in life, and I certainly didn't take the easy road, but I'm really happy with the adventure I'm on and wouldn't change a thing even if I could.

Well, maybe I'd fix a few of the health problems I inherited from pregnancy and somehow zap away 30 pounds, but then again, maybe I wouldn't, because...well...I'm really happy with me. Nobody can be perfect in the eyes of the world. In fact experience has shown me that people who try too hard to be perfect are usually the most unhappy people. There's a lot of pressure and lack of fulfillment in the constant pursuit of worldly perfection.

So, that's the gift I'm giving myself for 35 years on this earth...the gift of acceptance. The gift of knowing that life is really what you make it and your happiness is solely dependant on your attitude and how you feel about yourself. I really like me, so I am really happy!! Who knew it could be so simple?!

But check back at 40...LOL