(I want to clarify to any interested parties that this song is in no way autobiographical for me.)
(However, that song played pretty much on a constant loop during my mid-20s because HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE IT???)
Anyway. The point of this post...
Today is my last day I can say I'm "in my thirties."
Yes, my friends, tomorrow is the big 4-0. And if I can "remember when 30 was old," I can also remember when 40 was ancient. And I'm almost there.
This week has been busy, but I have also had a little "introspection time" here and there. While we have had some challenges of late (that's another post for another time), I have to say the 30s were maybe my favorite. Here are a few reasons why:
- When I turned 30, I was working my only job outside of academia -- I was a paralegal for a little over a year. I kind of hated the work (and missed teaching desperately), but I made a couple of friends that I remain friends with, and I'm thankful for that.
- I began and ended (although perhaps only temporarily) a job as a high school teacher. Now, to appreciate this fact, you must know that there was a time I said, "I will NEVER teach high school." I think God likes it when we say things like that because He must be thinking, "The joke's on you, girlfriend." HOWEVER, for seven years I had that job, and it gave me the opportunity to work with some amazing people and teach some great students. Most rewarding job, for sure.
- I've made some awesome friends who, I think, are friends now for life -- friends in Georgia, new friends and old friends here in Baton Rouge. As frustrated as I get with social media sometimes (yes, people, we know your health insurance costs just skyrocketed!), I am grateful for it simply because I still feel very much in touch with everyone.
- I think I gained some perspective on things. While I'm still very much a people pleaser, I also have accepted that not everyone is going to like me, and that's okay. And a bad hair day doesn't put me in the bad mood it used to pre-30s. (Confession: In the early days, I was known to throw a hair brush. I'm not proud, but I've come a long way!)
- Most importantly, I became a mom, something I have wanted to be my whole life, and it has been even better than I ever imagined. If things had gone "our" way, we would have had a kid much earlier in life, but I'm glad things worked out the way they did. Again, that whole perspective thing I just mentioned has been, I think, very important in how we have approached parenthood.
Bring it, 40!!
