30 Is Just A Number
It's time that i post an explanation of my blog title. I've always thought it was funny that people make such a big deal out of birthdays and as they hit certian milestones in years they somehow feel older and sometimes less excited about the next year ahead. Numerous people around me who have hit 30 or 40 or any number that sounds old to them will without fail make a joke about the occasion such as "Next week is the big three-ohh...man i'm getting old...i can't believe i'm already 30". Sure they are just passing jokes to try and draw some attention...i know...but in every joke you know there is some truth. Often people joke about things that they wish they could seriously say as to cover up the real intent or soften the blow to those around them. So, if you joke that "It's all downhill from here", somehow it makes it okay or expected if bad things start happening to you after the cake is gone.
I believe that the way you measure your age has nothing to do with the number of years you've been on this earth, but more to do with the experiences you have under your belt. If you suddenly look in the mirror one morning and you notice several grey hairs replacing the rich brown ones from the day before, one may have the tendency to run to the nearest drug store for Rogaine or hide in your home for the next week while you deal with the cruel reality of your "old" age.
Instead, what if you thought about all the times you've spent with your family at crazy Christmas parties with kids running in every direction and how it was so loud that you got a migraine that lasted for three days? What if you saw in your mind that year back in '91 that you and your new bride lived in a dump of an apartment while you finished up school and ate ramen noodles that last month before you got a job? Could those grey hairs be a product of that vacation with the guys out to the Grand Canyon when you broke your ankle four days in and had to ride horseback all the way out of the canyon...and had the time of your life doing it? Maybe if we look at our age relative to those moments that we really lived in and made the most of we will not look so harshly on the next year or two or ten.
I just turned 30 on the 3rd of this month. I've held this philosiphy about age for a while now and every birthday for the past several years i think i've held true to it. The only thing that is different about this one is that our culture, or just human nature, has made the ages 30 and 40 something to avoid like the plague and those year milestones seem to be the most undesireable of any to achieve.
So, although i'm not down in the dumps that i've turned the big three-ohh, this one does make you look introspectively at your life and what you've achieved in this amount of time on earth. There are some small things i'd do differently...but largely i would not take anything back. I have a beautiful family. They bring me the most joy that is possible to experience. My two boys, Dawson and Carter, could never understand how much i love them and would give my life for them if needed. They brighten any stressful situation and drown out all fear. My wife is my best friend...we struggle, triumph, talk, listen, and i love her more than anything. She is so talented...she's a perfectionist who's not perfect...she tires to be and seeing that draws me to her. She's an instinctive mother and caregiver...she always wants to give gifts and she's very good at it. I love my parents and siblings severely...they've made me the person i am and i'm grateful to know them the way i do. I love the talents God has blessed me with...i find new things all the time that i enjoy and have a knack for and i hope to use them in some way in my life. I've had many experiences that have brought me to this point we call "30" and i am more excited than ever to see what tomorrow, next year, and yes even "40" have to offer because i know by that time i'll have 10 more years of richness to draw from and that's what ages me. After all, 40 is just a number too.
I believe that the way you measure your age has nothing to do with the number of years you've been on this earth, but more to do with the experiences you have under your belt. If you suddenly look in the mirror one morning and you notice several grey hairs replacing the rich brown ones from the day before, one may have the tendency to run to the nearest drug store for Rogaine or hide in your home for the next week while you deal with the cruel reality of your "old" age.
Instead, what if you thought about all the times you've spent with your family at crazy Christmas parties with kids running in every direction and how it was so loud that you got a migraine that lasted for three days? What if you saw in your mind that year back in '91 that you and your new bride lived in a dump of an apartment while you finished up school and ate ramen noodles that last month before you got a job? Could those grey hairs be a product of that vacation with the guys out to the Grand Canyon when you broke your ankle four days in and had to ride horseback all the way out of the canyon...and had the time of your life doing it? Maybe if we look at our age relative to those moments that we really lived in and made the most of we will not look so harshly on the next year or two or ten.
I just turned 30 on the 3rd of this month. I've held this philosiphy about age for a while now and every birthday for the past several years i think i've held true to it. The only thing that is different about this one is that our culture, or just human nature, has made the ages 30 and 40 something to avoid like the plague and those year milestones seem to be the most undesireable of any to achieve.
So, although i'm not down in the dumps that i've turned the big three-ohh, this one does make you look introspectively at your life and what you've achieved in this amount of time on earth. There are some small things i'd do differently...but largely i would not take anything back. I have a beautiful family. They bring me the most joy that is possible to experience. My two boys, Dawson and Carter, could never understand how much i love them and would give my life for them if needed. They brighten any stressful situation and drown out all fear. My wife is my best friend...we struggle, triumph, talk, listen, and i love her more than anything. She is so talented...she's a perfectionist who's not perfect...she tires to be and seeing that draws me to her. She's an instinctive mother and caregiver...she always wants to give gifts and she's very good at it. I love my parents and siblings severely...they've made me the person i am and i'm grateful to know them the way i do. I love the talents God has blessed me with...i find new things all the time that i enjoy and have a knack for and i hope to use them in some way in my life. I've had many experiences that have brought me to this point we call "30" and i am more excited than ever to see what tomorrow, next year, and yes even "40" have to offer because i know by that time i'll have 10 more years of richness to draw from and that's what ages me. After all, 40 is just a number too.
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