One year older....

I turned 28 last week. I wasn't at all excited about it. I'm usually really good with birthdays. In fact I love them. A day where you get to be the Prince or Princess and parade around like all eyes are on you! I love other people's birthdays, coming up with a special way to make them smile and feel ever so loved. It's the day where on facebook you look like a rockstar because all those people that you never talk to post something on your wall, albeit completely generic. But this year I just wanted it to come and go. I couldn't put in to words why I wanted my birthday to just pass by without notice, but I did. Everytime I said, "I just feel like I'm turning 28, and what do I have to show for it?!?" People would respond with such things as "you're a doula, you found a job at a not-for-profit that you love, you have friends surrounding you and loving you, you have a family that you adore and they adore you in return, your burlesque habbit has become more of a sexy addiction!! What don't you have to celebrate!"

And the truth is, they're all right. But I found all the negatives, "yeah, BUT I don't my own family (or even the slightest hint it may happen soon), I am not making enough money, burlesque isn't moving fast enough for me" and the list went on and on. Basically in my eyes I'm not successful. Then something happened.

This:

Birthday party dinner courtesy of Krissie

And This:

Spent the day at the zoo with my bff

 

and This and this:



From my sister

 

From my parents

 

 And This:



SPOILED!!



And THIS!:



A week before my birthday, my best friend from Lethbridge came into town and planned an entire celebration. We had hotdog pizza (my fave as a kid!) Wildrose Wraspberry beer, party hats, cake and laughter. The next day we went out for breaky and then she took me to the zoo and we made supper together. And she left and I felt loved.

I spent the week watching my cousins (which I'll write about in a different post because it deserves a whole post unto it's own) and each morning I was greated with 3 beautiful smiles and hugs and kisses. They went down to the German bakery and got me pasteries. They were sad when I left. They let me know they love me.



I got flowers at work from my sister and my parent's. A volunteer brought me flowers for me. My boss put princess balloons on my desk. There was a card signed by everyone from work. The girls at work got me moustache magnets!! Everyone was kind. I left work smiling. People celebrated me and I felt loved.



I came home Sunday and my parent's were here and they had a celebration planned for me. Steak for supper, pateries for desert. Presents, wine, amazing company and surrounded by my family. We played Kinect all night and laughed and laughed and laughed. We woke up and had coffee and did the crossword puzzle, went out for lunch and then they headed home. And before they left they both told me how happy they are I was born. 5 minutes after they left I got a text from my dad saying they miss both of us already. And I knew I am loved.



And so, what I learned for my 28th birthday is that maybe I'm not where I imagined I'd be at 28, but it isn't so bad. I have incredible amounts of love in my life. I am loved beyond measure. And today that is enough for me.

Thank you to my mama and papa, to my wonderful sister, to Krissie, Ashley, Jenny, Kimmy, Linds, and the kids for filling me up with love. To each person who took a moment out of their day to make me feel special.

So, 28 isn't so bad, I guess.





Me. On my 28th birthday, May 17th at around the time I was born.