Happy Birthday to Me

Image via Concept Carz.

While I did not wake to find the above gorgeous 1937 Art-Carved Packard hearse in my driveway, it's been good so far. Birthday texts on my phone have been coming in, my Facebook page is blowing up with well-wishes from friends, and my husband brought me a cup of coffee and a warm hug and kiss before he left for work. I hit my fitness boot camp at 6:00 AM, and my coach, Val, lead the other bootcampers in a rousing, sweat-filled version of the birthday song. The cop who followed me a ways as I was on my way to boot camp did not pull me over. Life is good!

I am struck by how very lucky I am to live the life I do, and have the friends I have. Life is moving along at what seems to be an impossibly fast clip, yet there are those who make slowing the pace and enjoying that life worth it. I humbly thank all of them.

It is strange to note that half of my fourth decade is gone. Crazy, in fact. My life doesn't look anything like I thought it would at this point when I was looking at it from my twenties, or even my thirties. But when I look back at the changes the last five years have wrought in me, I think the time was, on the whole, pretty well spent. I can only hope the next five years will see me even further down my road as an artist, and hopefully, I can gain some wisdom and more compassion in the bargain.