Excited About 30!

I'm turning 30 this month and I'm actually really excited about it. I can't quite put my finger on why I'm so happy about it, but I am. Thirty is touted to be one of those ages that's supposed to be a little traumatic. The final closing of your childhood. "One foot in the grave," even. But it is so not that! At least that's not what I think, I'm not officially there yet.

Maybe it's because I was always one of those people that looks much younger than they really are. Well, that might not be the case right now, I don't really know, but that was definitely the case when I got married. My poor husband and his "twelve year old bride." I was 21 people! Young, but not that young. At least now I look like an adult and not some high school kid (or younger!).

Maybe it's because I like where I'm at in my life. It's funny though, I never really had a plan, per se, but I never thought by this time in my life I would be a stay-at-home mom with three kids. There's so much I could be down on myself about my place in life right now. I don't have a "career" to speak of. I have a degree which I've never used. I guess from the perspective of some I have done absolutely nothing with my life. But I love my life right now. I love my family. I love my stay-at-home mom job. I love the church. I love my friends. I have a really great life. That's not to say that I don't have my fears and frustrations, but life's good.

Maybe it's because I'm a lot more comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been before in my life. Not that I have ever been a super insecure person, but I don't mind owning my choices, my frustrations, my failings and my joys now. I also don't mind if those things are different from another person's. I don't try to make them different. I don't try to make them the same. I just let them be mine. Truthfully, I also think this had a lot to do with the timing of my third child. Having three children that are three years and younger can be extremely trying. Not to mention the bias in our culture against having more than two kids and, heaven forbid, three or more children spaced closely together. (I swear there have been times when I've wanted to jump down people's throats and ask them which child should I get rid of?! which one should not exist?! — but that's a post for another time.). I guess what I'm trying to say is that with all the difficulty of having so many young children plus the cultural pressure that you have done something wrong by doing that makes you have to get real comfortable in your own skin real quick or you will just go insane.

And thankfully it all happened by the time I turned 30!