In Appreciation of Getting Older

Hi friends! Sorry I've been gone again for awhile, our October is completely cray-cray (that's crazy for people who speak normally). Danny and I were in Chicago for the wedding of one of my dear friends and we had such a wonderful time, but it was quite the busy whirlwind trip. All of my college roommates were there and in the wedding in some fashion, as were their significant others, so there was a lot of catching up and squealing (mostly on the girls' part) and general silliness. I got home Sunday night and in the little time I've had to breathe and think and process since returning home, I began to reflect on how we're all growing up. People are getting married, moving in with boys (gasp!), buying houses, getting promotions and planning for the future. It's just so amazing to think that 5 and a half years ago, the six of us girls were living in squalor in a crappy house together and loving every minute of the Sex and the City marathons, Wendy's runs and beer pong. Don't get me wrong, we all still indulge in the occasional SATC marathon, Wendy's is still delicious and beer pong does pop up occasionally, but obviously we're in a new stage of our lives.
 

 

As nostalgic as I am for our good ole' college days, I'm actually really excited about this new phase. Seeing my friend Kaitlin (who was SUCH a beautiful bride) get married to this man she loves and who so clearly loves her back was so wonderful and that's just one example. My friend Kate got promoted at her job earlier than anyone else her level because she's a rock star and I am SO proud of her! My friend Tamara just bought her first house with her fiance, which I'm super jealous of by the way. I'm so excited to see what these milestones bring for my friends and to see them as wives, mothers, executives, doctors and professors. (My girls are wicked smahht.) These big wonderful things are happening to the people I love (and Danny and me) and it's something to celebrate even if it means our beer pong days are fewer and further between.

This train of thought is probably also due to the fact that it's my birthday tomorrow and I'm turning 28, which is a pretty anti-climactic age, although it is officially late-20s. A lot of people get freaked out by their birthdays but I am really not one of them. Not to humble brag or anything, but I think it's because I'm pretty lucky and I'm happy with where my life is for a 28 year old. Of course there are things I wish I had (like a dishwasher), but ultimately, I'm content at this point. And wow, how old am I that the first thing I think of that I want is a dishwasher? Grown up problems bro. Also, the year that I am age 28 is going to be a pretty big year for Danny and me. We'll find out where we will be living and working for the next 5 years; he'll graduate from medical school; I'll hopefully find a new job; we'll move. All these things are big steps and they're all happening in the same year, which is scary and wonderful all at the same time. Really I think that's the best way to describe getting older: scary and wonderful. Again, I realize this is partly due to the fact that I'm supremely lucky, but each year I find myself feeling so fortunate for what I have and thrilled yet terrified of what's coming up.

So as I am nearing this numerically insignificant but actually very important birthday, let me say this. Getting older is alright. It really is. As long as you have people to love and who love you right back, as long as you are working toward your goals and as long as you take time out for silliness and a mini-SATC marathon every once in awhile, all getting older means is another year of seeing what comes next. I think that's something to be grateful for.