One of my favorite quotes from Anne of Green Gables (the movie version) is “Every day is fresh, with no mistakes on it.” This encapsulates exactly how I feel about New Year’s Day, the first day of every month, Sunday mornings, and the day after a holiday or vacation. Suffice to say, I love a […]
birthday
My 40th Birthday Month
I turn forty on the 24th of July. I’m making a big deal out of it, but not because the number scares me. Every decade of my adult life has brought personal growth; I’m not at all the person I was at twenty, and I’m excited to see where forty takes me. When I was […]
Temporary Joy
I’ve been in a bit of a funk for a few days, and it took me awhile to figure out why– but when it finally crystalized, everything made sense. My daughter’s third birthday was last Monday. After I thought about it, I remembered that I went through the same funk after she turned one, and […]
Are You Prepared To Be 99?
My grandmother turned 99 last month. When she was born in 1919, life expectancy was just 52 years old. As a child, she could never have expected to live until 99; she might not even have met a 99 year-old person until she was much older. She wasn’t prepared for such a long life. Nor […]
Twenty Years of Stories
Today I turn 34. And that should be a relief, because 33 was my scary age, but for the first time in my life, I’m getting regular shocks of “I’m old.” The first time was earlier this month, when someone made a reference to high school, and I realized that I’m now twice the age that […]
It Is My Birthday, I Fear: My “Scary” Age
I’m turning 33 today. 33 is my scary age. I don’t really know why this is, except that it’s the age Jesus was when he died. I know, that sounds ridiculous, like I’m somehow comparing myself to Jesus. I can’t explain why it matters, but it does. That strong Catholic upbringing sometimes rears its head […]