Last Sunday was my birthday. 40 years old! With the craziness of my life in that moment, it just wasn’t on my mind to write about it here. I’m not a big one for birthdays, perhaps because I spent my childhood not celebrating them (religious reasons) and perhaps because I feel uncomfortable with the attention. It’s just another day to me. But a milestone birthday is not to be ignored by family and friends, and I was celebrated. 

Part of “sorting the piles” this weekend included looking at all of the birthday cards I received. Sometimes I save them, sometimes I throw them away – but this was my 40th, I felt the need to do something with the cards. I decided to create a fun collage with the images from them, and cut out the words that spoke to me, which turned into the poem. In the back I tucked the personal notes people had written. This is why I needed to get organized, so I could be creative again! Creating a fun marker for this milestone, with the bits and pieces of my family and friends mixed in, was a joy.

My friends in Corvallis planned a suprise party while I was there, which was a bit foiled by the fact that I disappeared from the face of the earth in the time they were trying to get me to the location of the party. In reality I only turned off my phone for a couple of hours for a massage appointment (wouldn’t you turn off your phone?) but it was quite funny the voice messages, emails and Facebook posts that happened in that time. You can see below that I made it, although late, to my own surprise party. It was a great evening of laughter and friends, margaritas and Mexican food, along with the perfect cake made by my friend Becky!

I am truly happy to be 40 years old. I feel like there is so much ahead of me, and I’m no longer weighted down by trying to be something I’m not. I’m just happy to be… me.