The past five years have brought the most change than any other season of my life. This time five years ago I was entering a new decade, and preparing for an epic bash with 100 or so of my closest friends. Since then, I’ve had two children, moved into a new home, started a business, and spent countless hours in front of my laptop writing countless words. So here I am, halfway to 70 and still kicking. ;)
Where turning 30 felt like a fresh new beginning, this birthday feels like the huge closing of a chapter. I’ve been doing a whole lot of building the past five years. Building our family, building Savvee, building a home, creating a life that lines up with what I dreamed it could be, and that my kids will make memories inside of. Making room, making space, and growing actual human life. Crazy. More change than any other five-year period, most likely.
On this occasion, I thought I would list 35 things I know, right now. These are not intended to be prescriptions for you- we are all on different journeys. Each thing I’ve learned comes from deeply personal places and experiences. Some came easy, some were hard won. It’s good to build an altar, right here, and remember where I’ve been, and what God has done. So here goes.
What I know, at 35, in no particular order of importance:
- Eat the cake.
- Be good to the people who have stuck with you.
- Stop being so hard on yourself.
- Slow your roll. You do not hold up the universe.
- Make time to celebrate.
- “No” is not a cuss word.
- Send that email. You know the one I’m talking about.
- Healing is damn hard work.
- Balance must be constantly maintained.
- Stop saying you’re sorry all the time.
- The world doesn’t need your advice- it needs your story.
- Time is a teacher.
- Baby giggles and baby thigh rolls are everything.
- Nothing, absolutely nothing worth doing is easy.
- Wisdom begins in wonder.
- The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.
- Your children have so much to teach you. Stop and listen.
- Shiny things wrapped in pretty bows are not to be trusted.
- The wisest ones talk the least and the quietest.
- Being vulnerable and honest is a precious offering.
- Every. single. moment is a gift. Even the hardest ones.
- More books. Always more books.
- Choosing to hope, over and over again, is worth it.
- Questions and mystery and tension can be lived in well.
- God is closer than you think and kinder than you know.
- Boundaries must be drawn and redrawn.
- Give it all you got.
- One day (hour, minute) at a time.
- Quality over quantity.
- Treat your body with respect. But remember, sometimes you just have to pick your poison.
- Choose to be grateful, right now.
- You can do the next right thing.
- Love your people as hard as you can.
- Life is too short for crappy food, coffee, or wine.
- I repeat: eat the cake.
