Turning 30… June 25, 2009

So, yesterday was my birthday. I am no longer a 20-something. I have to be honest, this was something I have been dreading for some time now. I’m really not sure why.
I often think back to myself as a young girl, what I refer to as my 12-year-old self, and I wonder what she would think if she could see me now. I remember all of the dreams and expectations I had for my life at 12.
Throughout the day yesterday I found myself thinking back and looking at my life through that girl’s eyes. I am so proud to say that I think she would be very happy and proud of who she was going to become

True, I have not single-handedly saved the rainforest, ended world hunger, or stamped out pollution. I have not discovered a new species, been on a safari, or even been scuba diving. But what I have done is SO much greater! I have an incredible husband and our relationship is stronger than any I could have even imagined at 12. He makes me so happy. I have two of the most amazing, beautiful, and smart children I have ever met. I have chosen a career path I am proud of. And while I have not worked steadily since graduation, I have managed to find a balance between my work and being a mother. A road that is tougher than any I could have imagined. And I while I am not out saving the entire world, I do like to think I may have touched a few lives along the way.
I am truly proud of who and where I am in life. I am proud that my last 30 years are something I love to look back on, instead of something to regret or try to repress. I am SO looking forward to the next 30 years. It is time for my 30-year-old self to create hopes and dreams for those years, since my 12-year-old self failed to look past 30. At 12, 30 is seriously old and there’s not much to look forward to after that—at 30, 30 is only the beginning