Last day of summer...1st day of my 30s

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!

It's here!! I'm 30 years old people!! Or as my aunt likes to remind me, "30 old years!" (NOT literally though. When I was celebrating my 3rd birthday, she asked me of my age & I naively responded, "3 old years!" She thought it was hilarious, never forgot that & recites it for every birthday of mine).

'Tis my birthday people. I woke up feeling happy & loved and nothing even occurred yet! Definitely off to a great start. J called me at midnight but only seconds after Dominique (friend since high school & ex-boyfriend) texted. Then when I woke up this morning at 6am, I had a text from my ex-boyfriend of 2 years, Dennis:

"Happy Birthday!!!!!!! Inhale. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!" I literally laughed out loud, then replied thanking him. He then replied, "So was I first? Third? What?? Hehe j/k...have a perfect day." He had texted me at 12:18am.

It always makes me laugh when people in my life say things that make me realize, they know me so well. I can't recall if he did this last year, but having not been together for almost 2 years now, I thought it was hilarious that he knew to hurry up & reach out to me because there is always a race for some reason. I'm laughing right now actually, as I type this.

I know that people do these things not because I bully them into doing it or for fear of being on my "Shit List." It makes me smile to know that they do it because they love me enough to do it, and boy did I feel the love today. I heard from people I've known forever, to those I've recently become acquainted with, to those I never thought I'd hear from again. Certainly, sites like Facebook make it easier but that doesn't matter because no one had to wish me anything... but they did. Over 140 Facebook wall messages, several Facebook emails, many tweets and many songs were sang in my honor today and that was just the start of my day.

My day was just beautiful over all, both figuratively & literally. I woke up in great spirits, got come car things accomplished (some of it for less than expected!), went shopping & had a wonderful dinner. The devil tried his best to muddy up my day though, by causing a hard-hitting fender bender prior to my dinner date, but I didn't let him win. I chose not to let him win. Instead, I took a moment to say to myself, "it's okay & it'll be okay." And it was. The 3 of us walked away from the car accident in fully operable vehicles, so my day could continue! Why shouldn't it?! I'm 30 today!!

So I went home & before Zin picked me up for our date, my friend Annette dropped off yet another birthday gift and we chatted briefly before she left. I placed it next to Kelli's "30th birthday survival kit" gift that she carefully put together for me & stood there smiling at my friend's gifts, feeling loved. Shortly thereafter, Zin called & requested that I meet him outside. When I did, he was waiting for me outside of the car -almost like the men did in the olden days by their chariots- wearing a beautiful, crisp lavender shirt (my favorite color). When we got to dinner, he gave me a bag of 3 gifts, each symbolic in its own way, and making it an extremely thoughtful gift overall. He wrote me a beautiful note to explain the symbolism of the gifts but also to remind me to be grateful of all that I've accomplished in my measely 30 years of existence on this Earth... and to be excited for what's to come.

I really am actually. I have a troupe of loving friends & family that support me, many goals and many dreams that I can't wait to tap into! I look back on my 20s and I'm really glad that I chose to do things my way. I've fallen many times. I've made a few repetitive mistakes. I've gotten up & pushed forth and upward. Nothing can really hold me back now and for that, I'm looking forward to this new decade of my life.