32!!! How can that be?

Something was a little bit different when I woke up this morning. I was another year older. Yep. Today is my birthday and the calendar is saying that I am 32, but I just don't believe it. I still have to remind myself some days that I am not that teenager playing volleyball tournaments every weekend. I still find myself shopping in the junior section at the department stores (boy those clothes are made small), and I still migrate to the "young" crowd at different events. So how did it happen that I am now what I used to think was old? Some one from a far room in the house will call my name "Mom" and I will remember. :-)

Birthday's used to be so exciting when I was a kid. I would try to pick out just what I wanted and hope that it would be wrapped up all nice and neat for my special day...and the super great thing was the fact that it didn't come out of my bank account! ;-) They hold a different meaning for my now, one that is not quite so exciting. I myself don't mind the getting older part very much, or even the gray hair. What I do mind is knowing that my family members are getting older and I am now having to really face the fact that they will not always be here. In the past year I lost my Grandmother, came super close to loosing my dad, had one of my aunts have a heart attack and need surgery, and I have a Uncle in ICU fighting for his life.  When I was asked by my Sweet Man what I wanted for this special day of mine this year, I really couldn't think of anything that was possible for him to get me. I would love for my Dad to not have pain and to be completely healthy. For my Mom to be able to retire and enjoy life more. For Sweet Man to have the job of his dreams and I would love to have my uncle miraculously beat his cancer and have many more years to enjoy life with my aunt....I would love to not have to worry about loosing anyone that I loved.

So yeah, something was different this morning. I am older but not sure that I have reached the wiser part yet. I am thankful for another year to be with the ones I love, and I am also thankful that the Lord has laid it on my heart to truly treasure the moments we have with each other. You just never know how many more there will be.

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

So here's to another year full of life!