It’s my birthday, which is awesome. Happy Birthday to ME! Don’t worry, I’m not in the depths of depression or mourning the loss of my precious youth or anything like that. I’m 48, solidly in my late 40s now, and I’m good with it. I like the woman I am, I really do.
Birthdays are a day of gifts and celebration so I want to give a little gift to you because they say it’s better to give than receive. (I say, if that’s the case, you’re probably not getting the right gifts.) I’m kidding, of course. it’s better to give, so here is my gift to you in celebration of my not-so-momentous 48th birthday:
What I Know:
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Hair does not always grow where it should. Sometimes 12 inch hairs grow out of your chin, neck and even a breast. No one understands it or can explain how they get so long in such a short period of time. We just secretly pluck each one and never speak of them.
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Skin care is huge, like for real. You think because your skin looks flawless when you are young that you are not someone who will ever need it. Oh no, young grasshopper, that once-perfect skin will start to literally slide down your face. What you think is a cute freckle one day will morph into something called an age spot, right in front of your eyes. Wrinkles will be the least of your problems, sister. Use good skin care, that is all.
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Things are going to move. And nothing will move in the direction you hoped it would. Nothing. Not your boobs, your butt, your arms, your thighs, nothing. But chances are you will care a lot less, because hey, it’s life, and you turned out to be a pretty cool woman who can drink wine any time she wants.
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You should travel; go experience how others live and love. You can not understand YOUR world until you see THE world. Do not think that the way things are in your city is the way of the world. We are incredibly lucky to have the lives we do — so get out there! The world needs to know YOU.
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Friendships get even better with age. Some will be for a season and some of a lifetime; either way, they are awesome. And guess what? We are still just as nervous to walk into a room full of women we don’t know as we were at 16. It doesn’t get easier with age, we just start to realize everyone is nervous, — it’s not just us and it’s ok.
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You can find your life’s calling more than once. Sometimes the thing you think you were created to do for the rest of your life becomes the thing you were created to do for the next phase of your life. T.D. Jakes said this, or something close to this, and I am living proof that it’s true. 48 years old doing a new job — writing a book. Weird.
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Be kind. I mean, really be kind to people. No one likes rude, snotty people, no one. Love people and they will love you back. I was kind of a wench for several years in my twenties and it took me a while to learn this one. People like nice people.
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Bad stuff is a gift. I have a whole book coming out on this, with lots of examples — make sure you buy lots of copies.
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Get stuff out. Like, cry hard, get mad, feel it and then release it. Have friends that allow you to vent every now and again. (But Don’t be the girl who vents all the time; no one likes being “vented on” all the time.) Bitter, angry people that never got it all out are miserable humans that end up with perpetually puckered lips and a furrowed brow that even botox can’t fix. Communication is a beautiful thing. (No, men don’t ever learn to read our minds. Talk to the poor man.)
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Love your family, forgive stupid stuff, hold on to them tight. Make memories and take pictures of your time together. Take photos of the silly laughing moments, not just the posed ones. Call your mom.
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Get to know God when you are young. Really know Him, make him your friend, talk to him, love him with all of your might. You will go through things in this life that no human can help you through, but God can. Know Him and it will be the greatest, most important relationship of your entire life.
That about covers it — and by 49 I should know a lot more. I am going to predict that I will have published a best selling book in my 48th year of life. Wait, maybe I should just say I finished a book . . . nahhhh, I’m going big, BEST SELLER.
Here’s to you my friends, may we have many more years and laughs together. Cheers!
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