So Long, Twenties. Hello, Rest of My Life

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I love celebrating birthdays! I think it is important to commemorate another year of life for those we love (as well as ourselves). However, I do not put a lot of stock in the age that comes along with that special day each year. I did not get my driver’s license until I was almost 17, I did not see an R-rated movie on my 17th birthday, and I did not have a drink immediately when I turned 21. I did vote in the first election after I turned 18, but that was more an act of responsibility than celebration. Now, with my twenties behind me, I can honestly say I am more excited about turning 30 than I was to turn 16, 18, or 21.

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving?

I am obviously not Jennifer Garner and I have never been a particularly flirtatious person, but I have always related to the character of Jenna Rink in 13 Going on 30 in the sense that I have looked forward to my thirties since I was in seventh grade. When career day would roll around, I would wish that there was a stay-at-home mom presentation for me to attend. I looked forward to the day when life would feel settled consistent. I dreamed of being married and having a family, not for the romance of it, but for the everyday love and support we bring to each other. I longed for the day when friendships would be built based on shared interests, compatible personalities, and genuine care rather than trendy clothes, popularity, and pom poms. I was born on my mom’s thirtieth birthday, so I have always viewed this particular milestone as the threshold of motherhood. So, as my twenties fade, I have found myself asking, “Am I really ready?”

The Art of Aging

I certainly miss my wedding-day body (and the ease with which I could maintain it) but, there is little else I will miss about my twenties. There have been milestones, amazing ones, to be sure. I graduated from college at 22 and from graduate school at 23. I became a wife at 25 and a mom at 27. My twenties were full and rich and exciting. But I truly believe that the most beautiful years of my life are still to come. I know there will be hard times because I have been to more funerals than weddings in the past year. I know there will be trials because I will go through the “terrible twos” at least twice during my thirties. And I know there will be tears, from me and from my babies. But I am ready to pull on my stretchy mom jeans and face all of this because of the joy that comes with raising a family. I am ready for soccer practices and dance recitals. I am excited for first days of school. I can’t say I am specifically looking forward to potty training, but I AM looking forward to watching my children grow and learn and achieve.

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Free To Be Me 

I have heard plenty of people bemoan turning thirty. They believe the “fun” part of their life is over and that they can no longer do what they want because they are too busy “adulting”. To be honest, I struggle every time I hear this. I have never felt more freedom than I do in the stage of life I am currently living. Now, to be fair, I have never been a spontaneous person. So, not being able to decide on Friday to go away for the weekend, is not really a downer for me. But, I feel freedom in the ability to be myself with my husband, my children, and my true friends like I have never felt in my life. I also believe I am more aware of the ways God has blessed me now than I have ever been. There is a wisdom and maturity that (hopefully) comes with aging that cannot be quantified. We cannot truly appreciate life until we have lived it and I believe I am beginning to truly appreciate it. I am ready to view life through a more appreciative lens on a daily basis.

My Next Thirty Years . . .

So, am I ready for my thirties? Will I settle all the scores? Cry a little less? Laugh a little more? (Any other Tim McGraw fans out there? Ok, cool.) I fully expect that my thirties will be harder than my twenties, but I believe I am ready. Bring on the good. Bring on the bad. Bring on more of this crazy, wonderful, beautiful life that did not end on December 6, 2018 when I turned the big 3-0.

 

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Rebekah V
Rebekah moved around a lot growing up but has been blessed to call Birmingham home since she graduated from The University of Alabama in 2011. She, her husband Jon, and their two red heads (three and one) live in Meadowbrook with their beagle Mozzie. Rebekah has been a librarian and a vacation planner (for Disney Destinations) but now stays home with her son and daughter. Rebekah obviously loves books and all things Disney. She also loves cooking, gardening, time with friends, and that sweet hour in the morning where everything is quiet. She relies heavily on Mountain Dew but more so on God's grace to live out every day.