22

 ( My mother and I. She took me out for an early birthday outing.. I love her!)

Today marks my 22nd year of being here on this earth.That sure did sneak up on me fast!

 I've had the younger look at me in with wide eyes and state how old I am getting, and I have had the older smile down at me and  remark how I am still just a baby. I suppose then, it is all how one looks at it. Frankly, I do not feel like a certain age.... because in some areas of my life  I feel like I have grown to be decades old. However, there are other areas where I feel like my childlike quirks have blossomed overnight!

Isn't growing up a funny thing? I see no need to complain that I am getting older...yes, I am aging, but I prefer "growing up" a more appropriate phrase ( and no, I am not in denial..just looking at it from a different angle! ha ha).

Birthdays are a time of celebration and reflection for me. I absolutely love celebrating the fact that I have been blessed with another year of life. I also love to look back at this same time last year, and see how I felt about turning 21,and  where I thought I would be in one year. How did I change? How did I not change? Did I grow or did I stand still? Did things turn out the way I thought they would?

One thing is for sure, I have learned to be much more comfortable in my own skin this past year. To be happy with who God has created me to be, but also not forgetting that there is always a need and room for improvement. My eyes have also finally been open to the fact that yes, people will you let you down, but it's how you handle the aftermath of that disappointment (even your thoughts) that make the difference in you as person . I also feel like I have finally reached the realization that at the end of the day, not everyone cares as much as I thought they did about silly little things. A girl can get oh so carried away with the silly little stuff...we love to read into things that are already transparent. I am working on focusing my attention more on what this life is really all about.

Lastly, one of the biggest things I learned while being 21, was that if you work really hard and put your faith in God, the possibilities of what you can do are by no means small!

My life is Ever Growing, and I am so excited to see where 22 takes me!