A BIRTHDAY IS A PROMISE

My birthday this year was the best birthday I’ve had in a really long time. Not because of the day itself, but because of the person I became within the year. My outlook on birthdays are now more focused on who I was in those 365 days. Some questions I contemplate are: In that year, what type of decisions did you make for yourself? How productive were you with your time? How much did you choose yourself? How much did you smile and laugh? How many lessons did you learn? How much joy did you experience from your last birthday to this one?

Now I see birth days as a promise. Birthdays feel like a pledge to give myself a meaningful life. So, when this birthday arrived and I took inventory of the way I’d been living - I was joyful. Before there was so much emphasis on the celebration, a subconscious way to make up for the lack of intentionality, and bullshitting with my life’s purpose. Neither of those things had space in my life in the last year. I exposed all of my beautiful colors. I was vulnerable when I needed to be. I handled my business as a mother and as a professional. I was well traveled and had many experiences to be proud of. I released a book which taught me valuable lessons. I became less authoritarian over things that didn’t need my control. I created firm boundaries between myself and highly toxic habits that were once so addicting. I listened to my intuition with appreciation for the ability and maturity to hear her. Life truly is beautiful.

This year, I spent my birthday at home in Houston. It was simple and intimate. What I enjoyed the most was the physical embracing and conversation. I felt loved and cherished. Feeling good about myself was the biggest gift, and everything else was extra love. February altogether was a month of receiving and abundance.

With this year, I want to read more and shift my writing practice in a different direction. I want to prioritize education and keep a high gpa in my grad school program. I want to create experiences that my son will never forget. I’d like to focus on curating a home that is warm through art and more thoughtful design. These are just a handful of things that come to mind. Most of all, I just want to be happy and true to myself.