I Struck it Rich in My 20’s

I’ll be jumping feet first into another decade of life later this week. Hello 30! I think about where I was ten years ago and I laugh. The good ol’ days when the spending limit on my one and only credit card was $150. I struggled to make my $130 car payment each month. It was a chore to get out of bed early enough to make an 8 a.m. class. And my idea of a cheap and healthy meal was sitting down to a can of corn (no kidding). Oh, to be young and naive!

As I get closer and closer to my big day the off-handed jokes and comments about "being old" are becoming more frequent...having a hard time getting out of bed, or teasing about spotting a gray hair. And then, of course, I hear the congratulations on “surviving” my twenties. 

I wouldn’t really say I “survived” my twenties, more so I’d say I got rich in my twenties. These past ten years have been overflowing with blessings that I could never have imagined. Allow me to reminiscence:

I became comfortable with myself. Coming off the heels of high school, where your idea of how you’re supposed to be comes from the popular crowd at school, my early twenties was full of being uncomfortable; a mix of low self-esteem and confusion. But over the past ten years I’ve grown in confidence and self-awareness – I finally feel a sense of who ME is supposed to be.

I became a wife. In our case, it’s true what they say…you’ll find love when you least expect it. My husband and I were unknowingly set up by two 14 year old girls. Who really expects that to work out? (It’s a cute story that I should share with you sometime). But they obviously knew what they were doing; we’ll be married nine years in October. It’s simply wonderful when you find someone to walk along life’s path with you; truly making the good times sweeter and the hard times easier.

I became a mom. I always knew that I wanted kids but until you’re a mom you never really understand the extent of the blessings that come with it. While sometimes annoying, I’m lucky enough to hear the word, “mom” exactly 1,000 times a day. I have never-ending supplies of wet kisses and sticky fingers. My office corkboard is always filled with construction paper hearts, stickers, stick people, and finger paintings. And our hallway closet will probably always smell like Crayola crayons. Children are definitely blessings you can never imagine to be so great.

I became unemployed. I remember a conversation I had with my mom when I was expecting my first child. She was gently urging me to quit my job and stay home to enjoy the rewards of being a stay-at-home mom, as she had. I replied with a “we’d love that but there’s no way we could make it on one income.” Little did I know we actually could, we just needed a little push from the Universe to believe it. Three years after that conversation, when I was expecting our second child, I was laid off with no opportunity to be called back. Sure it was shocking, stressful and maddening at the time, but now look at me, I’m considering that one of the highlights of my twenties!

Those were my BIG blessings over the last decade. Of course there were plenty of smaller, but equally as sweet ones sprinkled in as well; a Hawaiian cruise, Josh Groban in concert, buying a home, whale watching, RV trips with my parents, a visit to the most magical place on Earth (Disney World), my own good health and that of my loved ones, the launch of Soulspring Groups, gaining an appreciation of wine, attending “I Can Do It – Tampa”, pursuing my passion of photography, learning patience, and making some amazing friendships.

Life is grand! Happy birthday to me!

Becky,
Sister of Soul

Soul-spiration of the Week:
“A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip.” ~Unknown