Big Grins

I am very excited about the start of this new decade. 2010. It is one that I had pinpointed as special since I was a little girl as it would be the one that would see me turn 30! I have been looking forward to becoming 30 since I was about 5 years old. Odd? Maybe! My mum installed this love in me (as she did a love of many things being so full of love that she is) due to her own love of being 30. ‘Oh my darling, being 30 was the best ever. It was the year that I had YOU!’ Now, this is not to say that the years she had my sisters were any less wonderful, it’s just that I was a much longed for third baby (my sisters are 5 and 7 years older than me) and one that she could relax and enjoy with a lot more confidence in her ability.

 

Like me, my mum always feels young. She is an August birthday so the youngest in her year at school. It was her 60^th birthday this year and she celebrated with every joy for every year and has done for every birthday I can remember. She celebrates getting older and appreciates each year and I am the same. I could never dread a birthday or wish to turn back the clock as I am excited about the prospect of the future and grateful for whatever the past has allowed me so far. I also always feel young having been the youngest in the family and often in social groups I have been part of. I was always the ‘little one’ and always the one who was underage in the pub or 14 when the cinema required a 15, so now I am just happy not to cause a threat to the enjoyment of the evening by being refused service/entry. I wouldn’t mind being asked for id now though especially since I have never even been looked at twice at the bar/check out since turning 18 – oh, the injustice!

 

I have had an amazing and bursting to the seams 20’s including graduation, first jobs, spreading my wings into the real world, beautiful new friendships, parties and fun, many houses and homes, travel, meeting and falling in love with my soul mate, marriage, two incredible children, health and happiness beyond any expectation 10 years ago. Even my eager 19 –year- old self who was at university with hopes and dreams like anyone else would not have ever imagined such a fabulous decade and so I feel absolutely ready to take on the next. I have developed a love of life, love of others and love of myself that will hopefully enable me to lead my children through their formative years with the confidence my mum spoke of.

 

My growing maturity has taught me that there is so much more out there, so much to learn and so much to grow from. I do not have to do it all now and nobody expects me to know it all. Nobody is perfect, certainly not me. I am aware of some of my short comings and less favorable personality traits and I am sure that I will learn of many more over of years but I will always be working to improve on them. 

 I have more body confidence now that I no longer fight against my natural curves trying to change them into a size not me. Amazingly this led to a ‘happy weight’ that was below my ‘fighting weight’ and I am now feeling balanced, fulfilled and satisfied as a result. I have discovered the importance of exercise and love being a non - smoker. I know that a bad hair day or bad face day or bad anything else day is not the end of the world and it will pass as quickly as it arrived.  I know that a huge, true grin in photos squeezing someone you love even though it squashes your cheeks is always more beautiful than a pout and a side ways pose.

 

I know that being surrounded by love and feeling love in all its forms is precious and should never be taken for granted. I know that as long as you have your health you can achieve anything.

 

I am full of expectation for this new decade and will be working on turning my next set of hopes and dreams into realistic goals and targets for the next stage of my life. I now have a solid base from which to build and a strong support around me in which to bounce off if I slide or fall. I am in no rush to get anywhere as I am so much more aware of enjoying life for the moment and enjoying the NOW.

 

I am so excited about turning 30 next month and will celebrate every one of my 30 years on this earth with a huge grin hopefully with my cheek squashed up against the three best things from the last decade…my husband, my son and my daughter. How could my 30’s be anything but insanely perfect with them in my life?