An Ode To Youth

Alright, so ode might be the wrong word. I'm not going to get all poetic on you....that would take a lot more effort than me just doing a brain dump about entering a new decade of life. Somehow, ode sounded better than brain dump, though, so I went with it.

Anyway, I can't keep delaying the inevitable....I am going to turn 30, regardless of how long it takes me to write this post so I might as well get to it.

The title might seem a little tough. My definition of" old" really has changed since I've gotten, well, older. But, I still think 30 is the age when the "youthful" world considers you old. I mean, I'm not there quite yet (still about 21 hours away, if anyone is trying to be exact...), but I feel like it's the age the rest of the world looks at you as a grown up. I'm a little mixed on if that's a good thing or bad thing. I mean, it's somewhat nice to not be seen as a kid anymore, but, it's also a little scary, like I've lost my ticket for making silly decisions. Not that I love making silly decisions, but, well you know, it's always nice to have a given Plan B (i.e. young and dumb) to fall back on. I actually have to create a real Plan B for situations now.

The last decade of life has been a pretty fantastic decade with lots of stuff happening - a couple of college graduations and a marriage to my favorite guy. We bought our first house together, took some fun trips, and made DFW our home. I started my first (and second) career job, and I found my most favorite job in the entire world (that I once thought I never wanted) - being a mother. I made my faith my own and became more comfortable in my own skin. Over the last decade, I've met lots of wonderful people and developed many of my favorite relationships.

When I look back, I feel like it will be difficult to compete with everything that happened in my 20s, and maybe that's why people cling to these "youthful" years. They are full of big, memorable moments. Will I do as many big things in the next decade of my life? I'm guessing not. But, that doesn't mean there's not another fantastic decade ahead. In fact, I'm pretty sure it will be.

Just the other day Ryan and I were talking about how we could hardly remember life before Aiden....and we wouldn't change that. I've spent months (maybe years...) dreading the big 3-0, but strangely, over the last month, I've become excited to see what happens in my 30s. It's less about a number now and more about what life holds. And with the people in my life, I'm certain it's full of good things. I'm excited for relationships with family and friends - to grow them and to see what happens in others' lives. As bittersweet as it will be, I greatly anticipate watching my son grow up. I look forward to spending another ten years with my love and growing in my walk with Christ. Yeah, I think the next ten years are something to look forward to.

I'll end my brain dump there. Thirty, here I come!