It’s the eve of another full rotation around the sun—my birthday! 🎉 Honestly, after you hit your mid-40s, birthdays become a little blurrier. I still tell people I’m 38 because it just feels right. 😉 Of course, I want the day to feel special, and it usually does with all the texts, phone calls, and social media love. But as a parent—especially a stay-at-home one—your birthday starts to resemble every other day, and by “resemble,” I mean it’s dictated by your 3-year-old’s whims. How he feels tomorrow is anyone’s guess, and let’s be real, his mood will have more impact on my day than any cake or candles.
Still, I like to use my birthday as a little checkpoint to reflect on the past year. It’s been busy! I finally wrapped up my Master’s degree in Music Education at George Mason University (diploma TBD, but you bet there’s a celebration when it arrives!). I also became a trainer at Burn Boot Camp, which has pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many ways—both mentally and physically.
I’ve navigated some tricky terrain in relationships, learning to let go of expectations and embrace Mel Robbins’ “Let Them” theory. It’s been liberating, but let’s just say, it’s still a work in progress. Boundaries? Figuring them out, setting them, resetting them. Oh, and constantly learning how to regulate myself when my toddler decides he’s testing the limits of all my patience or I’m feeling completely “touched out” by the end of the day.
As I step into this next year of life, I’ve become more clear about what I want for my family and how I want to show up for them—and for myself. There’s been growth, a few bumps, and more than a few moments of humor to keep it all in perspective. Because if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you’ve got to laugh along the way.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”
~George Bernard Shaw
So, here’s to another trip around the sun and keeping the play alive, one day at a time.