another year

May for me means a month of birthdays. It is a very busy month for my family and I. In all I know seven people with a birthday this month... it gets kind of expensive to say the least. Celebrating birthdays is kind of funny in a way... the way we actually do the celebrating that is. Everyone you know and love gets together generally with a party where there is cake and ice cream and a mound of presents. I wonder just where this tradition came from. Who thought that giving someone a gift just for being born was a grand idea.

Not that I am complaining or unwanting of gifts... I just find it... odd I guess. But, on the other spectrum, I knew a guy that was a Jehovah's Witness. I never got why it's a bad thing to celebrate one's birth. How do you explain that to a child who all their friends have parties and get presents. I think its rather cruel to be honest. This I just do not understand...

With birthdays obviously brings another year of age tacked onto the ever growing number thats tacked to you. This year I will be 26 and all I can think of is that 30 is looming not so far off in the distance. Once I hit that then I'll no longer have that youthful sounding age... the way that society has taught us to feel.

I feel old most of the time anyway. I've lived so much life for my short years. I feel wise beyond my years and have been told that many times. I know I will never stop gaining wisdom, but I already feel like I have a firm grip on life and what it holds for me. I also know that I will never know what is around the corner, but I feel like I'm capable of handling what comes my way.

But back to aging. Sometimes I think that youth is wasted on children-if only I could have half of their energy. I always feel tired... even just as I've just woken up... hours later.. and so on... it's rather unfair. I remember when I was a child and hated naps... and now all I want after lunch is just a hour to myself just to sleep.. to rest from the responsibilities of being an adult. If only I had known just how nice a nap can be... that would have been nice. When you're young though you have no concept of that. All you want to do is learn and see and do. I know I never wanted to miss anything... I was never ready for bed... for fear I wouldn't see something important or cool.

Ahh... just to get a nap a day.

So here I am on the verge of another year older and there are a few things I have discovered to be truth.

1. The golden rule is important-always treat others the way you wanted to be treated. They may not treat you the same, but you will feel good about yourself for being a good person.

2. Trust and communication are paramount in love. Love comes easy but making that love stay strong takes work... without these two things, it will never work.

3. Always make time for the fun times in life. Work will always be there... but you're life is always changing and you are always getting older.... don't let it pass you by... don't get old and have a lifetime of regrets.

4. Hot baths cure all. Stress.. sickness... pain... all of it... it will melt it all away.

5. I am a rich woman... I am rich with the love of a wonderful man and family.... no amount of money could make me happier than I am now.

6. Never leave fighting with anyone you care about... life is all a gamble... its all a risk... that could be the last time you see them... don't let that good bye be a bad one.

7. You must love yourself. If you loathe and have no respect for yourself... how could anyone else?

Thats all I can think of right now... but I think that pretty much covers the basics. So maybe with another year I will learn something new... something that I can add... something that holds true to the core of human nature. But even if I were to die tonight.... I will have died with no regrets... and so I would have died a happy woman.