Remembering the Past Years of My Life
Entering a new decade can sometimes be intimidating. I couldn’t wait until I turned 20, and then 21; however, my second decade was unlike my peers. I entered the military, married, had a child and divorced all before I turned 29. I think I lost several years of enjoying life in my 20s, so when my 30th birthday was approaching I made sure I celebrated it with pomp and circumstance – well at least with lots of friends.
I really enjoyed my third decade. I felt as if I had fully become the person I was meant to be. I finally completed my college degree and I was the oldest in my graduating group, but I didn’t feel any different than my younger peers and colleagues. I recovered from the hurt of the divorce and rebuilt the emotional strength and confidence I had lost during a tumultuous marriage. Through several attempts of securing a full time teaching job, a school district accepted the little experience I had. Although I had to sell just about everything I had to pay for the move across the country, I did. My son will probably hold this against me for the rest of his life, but he has the experience of living in different parts of the country that most of his peers do not.
By the end of my thirties, I had built a strong reputation of not being intimidated by superiors nor compromising my morals and standards. I became a leader in my profession, and was well-respected and appreciated by my peers. Unfortunately, my superior did not like this and when the opportunity came to relieve me of my duties, she did.
When one door closes, another opens and I was ready to walk in. Another move, another career opportunity to utilize my skills as well as my true career calling – professional writer and editor.
I celebrated my 39th birthday, much like my 30th with good friends, a limo and a tour of my new adventure in new city. Although it has been a year of trials, it has been an eye-opening experience of the mistakes I have made in the past and the changes I need to make to be more stress-free.
A Thanksgiving Birthday to Remember
Thankfully I had nearly all of 2009 to wait to turn 40. Even though some members of my family and friends wanted me to celebrate with a big party or a night out on the town, I decided to enter my fourth decade quietly as if it was just any other day. This year my birthday, as it does every six years, fell on Thanksgiving and I knew it would be day of thanksgiving for my life as well as time with my family, which was more important than any other type of celebration.
Since I am active on several social networks, and I “follow” many local events in the area, I knew where I wanted to go on my Thanksgiving birthday – the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Funny, yes. But if know me, I really relish in the FREE things in life. The Cleveland Zoo offers free admission to everyone on Thanksgiving. My Mom and I spent a couple hours of the overcast afternoon at the zoo with a tiger that had a stomachache, pumpkin eating orangutans, pacing bears, one giant polar bear and grizzly bear who feasted on frozen fish (sticks), camels, reindeer, wolves and many other wild and protected creatures of the earth.
I did cook dinner, but not turkey, and it was fabulous. My mom baked my favorite cake – Red Velvet with a whipped cream frosting, and strawberries. We were all fabulously stuffed and blessed with having our health, family nearby, friends, pets, jobs, a roof over our heads, food on the table and in the cupboards.
I’m already making changes in my life, so that I do not fall into the same situations and crises that I did in my 20s and 30s. I always have hope, faith and love in all that I do and with the people in my life. I don’t know what the next decade holds for me, but I look forward to the next 10 years with faith and hope that I will continue to live the life that it is meant for me.
