Happy Birthday To Me!

Today I celebrate the 18th anniversary of my 21st birthday. Or the 10th anniversary of my 29th birthday. Or my 39th birthday. Any way you look at it, I’ve made another 365-day trip around the sun. I would like to say that I’ve gained some mystical wisdom in this past year of life, but the truth is I don’t really know any more than I did a year ago. I have been reminded of some very important things during my 38th year of life though, so I’ll share those things instead. None of them are earth-shattering truths, just a few key points to keep in mind during your own trip around the sun.


“Everyone wants to ride in the limo with you. Your real friends will ride the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” Remember to appreciate your true friends. We all have friends. Most of us would probably even say we have a lot of friends. True friends are special though. It’s easy to be a friend when things are going good. True friends are there when things aren’t good. They are the ones that stop by to make sure you’re ok before you make a long drive home after receiving the worst news you can think of. They are the ones that make an even longer drive just so you’ll have a shoulder to cry on at the funeral home. And they are the ones that take the time to call and check on you when they know you’re going through something difficult. Those friends are the keepers. Those are the ones you should cherish. Those are the ones you should pattern yourself after. And those are the ones you should spend time with and make an effort to be a true friend back.

“This too shall pass.” Whatever “this” is, it won’t last forever. We have to go through the bad times to appreciate the good times. Which is a great lead in to my next thought…

“You are stronger than you think.” Or “you never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” Either one works and both are true. If someone had told me I would be able to drive myself and Katelyn to Scottsboro on that January day (Byron and Hunter drove up later), I wouldn’t have believed that I could do it. But I did. Even though it felt like the longest drive I’ve ever made, I did it. We can do a lot when we have to. A lot more than we think we can.

“Everything happens for a reason.” This one I truly believe. It’s not always easy to accept things that happen, but there is a reason. Looking back, you can usually see that but sometimes you have to go on faith. You have to believe that there is a plan and everything will work out exactly like it’s supposed to.

“You only live once, but if you do it right once is enough.” Don’t be afraid to take a chance. Go after what you want. If it works out, great. If not, try again. We only get one shot at this, so live your life the way you want. Have fun. Laugh until you cry. Love without fear. Don’t worry about looking stupid. Some of the most fun I’ve had involved looking absolutely ridiculous. You will make mistakes along the way, and that’s ok. We’re meant to make mistakes. Just learn from them and move on. “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”

“Love is blind. Sometimes it’s deaf and dumb too.” Also “you can’t make somebody love you.” No matter how much you want them to. You can’t choose who you love and neither can they. It just happens. And the one that you think you just can’t live without, the one that CAN live without you, is probably not “The One” anyway. If it’s meant to be, it will be. If not, be thankful for dodging a bullet because that’s more than likely what happened. And you’ll see that eventually.

“You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” This one is sad but true. We can’t seem to see what’s right in front of our faces most of the time. Take time to enjoy the little things because when you look back, those will be the big things. And they will be gone. And you will miss them. So enjoy them while you can and don’t take them for granted. This goes for people in your life too. Tomorrow isn’t promised and you never know when what you say will be the last thing you say to someone. Be nice.

I could go on and on with my clichés, but I’ll end with one of my favorites. This is a quote from Dr. Seuss. “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter won’t mind and those who mind don’t matter.” Always be you. And always tell the people who matter how you feel about them. You’ll feel better and they will too. Try it. You’ll see. Surround yourself with the people who matter.

I’m sure I’ve left out something terribly important in this list and I’ll remember it just as soon as I post this. I guess I’ll have to start a new list of things to share at the beginning of my next 365-day trip around the sun. Until then, “age is just a number” and “you’re only as old as you feel” so I will remain 20-something for a little while longer. Happy Birthday To Me!