I celebrated my thirtieth birthday this week. I know most women dread the big three-O, but I am actually quite excited about it for two reasons. First, it means I’ve had the blessing of living for three decades. During that time, I’ve known a number of wonderful people who didn’t get that chance, which has taught me not take a single birthday for granted.
Second, I work at a school and apparently look young for my age, which has led some coworkers and parents to make comments like “Oh, you look like one of the kids!” I know they aren’t trying to be offensive, but there is nothing flattering about being told you look fourteen when you are in your late twenties. The next time someone makes a comment like that, I am looking forward to being able to pull a Bones (from Star Trek) and say, “Dang it, man. I am thirty years old, not a teenager!”
Because we are in the middle of a pandemic, I couldn’t go out to eat and see a movie with my husband like I usually would. Instead, we picked a couple of movies I hadn’t seen from Disney+ and had a movie day at home, complete with popcorn and soda. That, plus cheesecake and well-wishes from my friends and family, made for a pretty great day!
One of the movies we watched was The Finest Hours, which is based on the true story of four Coast Guard members who overcame incredible odds to rescue twenty-two men stranded at sea. Chris Pine stars in the movie, and I was impressed at how well he portrayed the main character, even though it was dramatically different from any other role I have seen him in.
We also watched The Three Musketeers (1993). It was filled with humor and adventure. I thought the writers and actors did an amazing job of staying true to the original characters from the novel, even though the plot was quite different.
I’ve learned a lot of things over the last thirty years, far too many to include in this post, but I would like to share a few of the things that are on my mind today.
- Cats behave very differently around those they love and trust than they do with strangers. I had no idea what it was like having a cat until I got one of my own.
- Jesus loves us exactly as we are. Accepting Him as my savior has given me peace, freedom, and purpose.
- Real friends are rare and worth the effort it takes to keep them. My three closest friends and I live hours apart, but we are still there for each other. I am so grateful for that.
- Feeling successful should be based on effort, not results. I can’t control if my students learn or if a publisher chooses my book. All I can do is give my best effort, and that’s enough.
So, those are my thoughts on turning 30. I hope all of you have a wonderful week! And if you enjoyed this post, please subscribe to see more like it.
