Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Tomorrow Starts My Own Personal 'New Year'

I turn 36 tomorrow. There, I said it. The big 36. I am no longer in either of the "cool groups" you check off on questionaires: 18 - 25, or 26 - 35. No, now I'm in the 36 - 45 age group. Yeah, uh huh, I'm middle aged. What the . . . ??? When did that happen? I don't look middle aged. Middle aged??? WHAT THE . . . ??????

Lol, I'm not really having a mid-life crisis (although I fully expect to be alive until I'm 102, so technically I won't be middle aged until I'm 51). I'm just realizing that I'm no spring chicken anymore. I've never really felt young anyway, so that hasn't changed. I've always been referred to as an "old soul", and I certainly have always felt that way, since I was a little kid. Teachers, my mom's friends, family members, and just random adults always said I was such a mature kid -- almost too much so. I'm only now learning how to "let go", as it were. One of my friends actually calls me "Grandma" because I act like such an old lady sometimes, and she's a year older than I am! So, it's not that I don't want to feel old, because I've actually always felt old. I'm just beyond amazed at how quickly my life has gone by. And the older I get, the quicker it all seems to go! Now with Theo in my life, I would love if it slowed down a bit so that I can enjoy every moment of this journey with him while he is still so small. I know I'm asking for the impossible though.

I'm actually looking at this birthday as the beginning of my own personal New Year. I plan to wipe the slate clean of as much of my past as possible and go forward with a lighter load and a brand new canvas that I can paint anyway I choose. And what do I choose? Happiness. Peace. Love. Everyday -- no matter what. Because in the end, I have a funny feeling that those are the only things that truly matter.

I'm just glad I don't look my age. Everyone says I look younger than I am, and that helps a lot! :-)

Uhm, what do you think; I don't look 36, do I?

88 comments:

Michelle said...

LOL. That was really clever!!!!

Actually when I first saw your picture I thought how beautiful you and your son were.

Over from SITS

Jewelry Rockstar said...

Happy Birthday!!! When Erykah Badu sang about turning 36 it sounded so cool..."this year I turn 36, damn it seemed to come so quick." Hey enjoy it! I'll be 40 in a few short months and I'm just giddy.

Mama Nut said...

Happy Birthday!!!!!! There is no WAY you are 36! You are way too cute and have GREAT skin! I hope I look nearly as great as you do when I am 36! Let us know what you do today to celebrate.

I hope your next 36 years are the best!

Nikki @ Euphoria Luv said...

Ha. No you don't look your age...or anywhere near it. I always think it's how you feel ...not what the calendar says...is what's important. There's still lots for you to do and enjoy.

BTW, i'll be kicked out he cool group this year also. Woot!

carma said...

Ha ha!! Hope you had a wonderful birthday. I'm even older, so to me 36 would be awesome!

Stoppin' by from SITS to say "hi" and welcome. I know that you will enjoy being a part of this vibrant community of bloggers!
carma :-)

Joy said...

Happy birthday!

Welcome to the SITS community!

Mamarazzi said...

36 was a year of "aha moments for me" and now at 38 (typing that didn't even hurt) i feel like, "ok this is me, i like me and the life that lead me here, even the bumps!"

Happy Birthday!

I am Mamarazzi and I am a Welcomista from SITS. I am here to welcome you to the SITStahood! You are going to LOVE this amazing community of women.

Stop at Dandelion Wishes and say hello and if you like follow me. I do a drawing for fun prizes each month EXCLUSIVELY from my list of followers...just for following, no need to stop in and comment everyday (though you might wanna, but who has time?) just follow...pretty cool right?! yeah, that's how I roll.

Brandy said...

Happy 36th! (a little early) It's funny you mention those boxes, because I dread the day I need to go to the next box. LOL! I thought I was the only one...

Welcome to SITS! I hope you have a great birthday!

sandy said...

Happy Birthday! I just turned 35 last week!

I'm stopping by to welcome you to SITS! It's great to have you in the SITStahood!

greedygrace said...

LOL! That's hilarious!

I turn 36 this year, too.... I'm a little scared!

I came by to welcome you to SITS! We're glad to have you with us!

Unknown Mami said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm glad that you found me, so that I could find you. I just became one of your "followers" so I can keep reading.

You post was on the 19th,is your birthday May 20? That's my birthday. Crazy!

Valerie said...

Hey haven't you heard 40 is the new 30!! But really age has never bothered me but I am have enjoyed my 40's the most.

I stopped by to welcome you to SITS!!

Noah's Mommy said...

hahah...love the picture...and if today's thirties are the new twenties...then it really only makes you 26....stopping by to Welcome you to SITS...and happy Birthday too

Cammie said...

stopping by from SITS to welcome you!! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Bec said...

Hahaha!

Proper Prim said...

Happy Birthday... you are still a puppy...LOL... Have a great day...

Hugs... Deb

Fruitful Vine2 said...

LOL! Looking at that picture - you don't look 36 at all.

I enjoyed my visit on your SITS Day. Continue to enjoy it.

Elizabeth said...

Well, for starters, happy belated birthday to you! How is 36 so far? Good, I hope. My best friend will be 36 this year, and is having a lot of those same thoughts. But, as I reminded her, 36 is a lot different than it used to be. And you totally don't look 36 (or 35, as the case may be) in your profile picture! I'd peg you in your late twenties!

Mom of Three said...

Girl, I take one day at a time. Those numbers don't mean a thing to me. :-)

cat said...

Turning 40 last year was such a revelation to me. I expected to feel down or sad, instead I felt liberated and strong. And not old at all.

Sandy said...

36? You are in the prime of your life. My 30's were the best decade so far.

pk said...

Too funny that you put that photo at the end of the post! Would be interested to know how you're feeling about 36 6 months later. I'm not particularly fond of getting older, but have realized that in the time I waste stressing about it, I'm just aging and I'll never again be younger than I am right at this minute so I might as well just fully embrace life and let it be what it will be. (wow that was a long run-on sentence!) Hope you're having a good day.
pk @ Room Remix

Miss Know It All said...

Great post! LOL

Becky @ Our Sweet Peas said...

Ha! So funny! Here's to new beginnings. I too find that now that my boys are here time flies by SO MUCH MORE quickly! Thoroughly enjoyed ALL of your posts this morning. Thanks!

Jennifer Juniper said...

I turned 37 this year, and could have written the very things you did. I really hate it when I hit the scroll down box for my birth year on e-forms and it's not on the years that pop up. I have to keep scrolling down down to get to 1972. It sucks.

Pam said...

First, I hope you had a wonderful birthday and that your New Year has been filled with Peace, Happiness and Love. And secondly, there is a huge difference between mature and old.

Annie @ astonesthrowfrominsanity said...

I am turning 36 on halloween, this Saturday. (How's that for scary? Ha!) Anyway, thus far I have done a good job of consciously not thinking about getting older. I think that I prefer to think about it as getting wiser . . . even if that means more wise asser! (Is that even an expression? If not, it should be!)

Victoria D. said...

Happy SITS! Nice post. You are only as old as you feel right? And I'm guessing you must have a pretty happy and healthy life otherwise you wouldn't look so much younger than what you are!

-Victoria D.

Christine said...

I loved my 30's. It was a huge growth spurt for me, emotionally. It went so quickly though...I can relate to that.
I think we build up momentum and time goes so quickly the older we become. I wonder if everyone feels this?

Holyoke Home said...

Oh honey, it could be SO MUCH WORSE. You could, for example, STILL BE IN YOUR TWENTIES!!!!

I can relate to a lot of what you write, and it feels good to know I'm not alone.

Mighty M said...

You don't look a day over 26! And when I turn 36 next month come by and tell ME the same thing!! ;-)

Crafty Girls Workshop said...

Well, how appropriate for me to read this today, just stopping from SITS feature blogger! I'm turning 30 tomorrow and it feels like a major milestone. I think I'll borrow your idea and try to make it a personal new year too. How is that going by the way? Congrats on being the featured blogger. I love the music on your blog!

Anna

BlogBaby said...

I actually think the lady in the photo is lovely looking! She looks like she glows from the inside, isn't that the most important thing anyway? :)

From your profile photo we can all see that you are a stunning Mama! And that babe of yours is delish!

BlogBaby (Yup, a BABY who BLOGS!)

Joy said...

I do hope you've been enjoying 36. Mid-thirties are great!

Happy SITS day to you!

Meg said...

It always feels great when there's a reason to wipe the slate clean.

You and your son are beautiful!

Kim said...

Maybe you should stop thinking "old soul" and replace it with "young at heart"! I wish I were 36 again - smile.

Happy SITS day!
@cheapchichome

Christina said...

I hope your New Year has been as fresh and good as you hoped it would be.

And you DO look young... happiness goes a long way. :-)

Happy SITS!

Sherri @ Luv a Bargain said...

At 41...I feel better than I ever have in my life. Never thought I would say that way back in my 20's.

Connie Weiss said...

I'm the queen of clean slates. I love them! Turning 39 this year was really hard for me....

sweetjeanette said...

Gasp! Im 51!!! LOL. (and I don't feel my age either---I look 36! LOL) Love the idea of your own peronal new year. Sounds good to me! Dropping by from SITS to say hi. Congrats on being the featured blogger!

sweetjeanette.blogspot.com

Creative Junkie said...

Sigh. I wish I were 36 again! I miss my thirties although I have to say, my forties aren't as horrific as I thought they'd be.

Kmama said...

Happy belated birthday!

Rook No. 17 said...

I love your attitude! We're blessed with the opportunity ~ every day~ to start out with a clean slate. Hope your "new year" is full of love, laughter, and fun.

Maven said...

Ha!!!

The best years of my life have, honestly, come after 40. It's all good :-)

Karen@StrictlySimpleStyle said...

Hi, stopping by from SITS. 36 sounds really young to me, I'm 44!

Your post reminds me of a line from the book "I Feel Bad About My Neck" from Nora Ephron. She writes that anything you think looks awful at 45 you'll laugh at when you are 55.

The Girl Next Door Grows Up said...

Hey, I am 36 too! I like it, although if we round up...

Have a Happy SITS Day!!

Miss Behavin said...

LOL...love it! I feel the same way and I turned 40 in December!

Happy SITS day, dear!

Lucky Girl said...

Ah aging...what a quandery. I love the wisdom I have gained, but I could do without all the wrinkles and gray hairs!!

2busy said...

Birthdays are really hard. I still feel 17 in my mind, I work with teenagers, but the calendar says I'm 40. What the heck?! I feel your pain.

Crystalin Dunn said...

Hmmm, I hadn't really thought about the repercussions of turning 36 until NOW!!! Thanks A LOT, and what great timing, a few weeks before my birthday. DANG IT! So have you eased into it by now? Feeling any different? I hope not, because from your profile pic, you look absolutely gorgeous, and from your posts, you're an amazing person. It's so true, how quickly time passes. It does make you want to enjoy every moment you spend with those you love. Happy SITS day!

Sam said...

Come on now Girl. When you're as old as dirt, like me... then you feel the pain without the gain! LOL.. you ain't seen nothin yet, it ain't for sissies, that's for sure. Love, Keri

www.samwich365.com

Geeta said...

I'm in the same boat with you on the "old soul" thing. I've been getting that since 5th grade and before while having mature conversations with my teachers.

You wouldn't happen to be a capricorn would you? Because they say - we grow young :)

Bella Crafts said...

It is funny how the minute we are born, we are on the track of "aging." Aging is inevitable, but we still have the ability to "choose" to love our life, no matter how old we are. When I look at the number of candles on my birthday cake, I think "yuk, getting older sucks!" But then I start to count my blessings and realize that I'm grateful to have my health, and that far out-weighs the negatives of "aging."

HLB said...

Stopping by on your SITS day. This was a really clever, cute post. Hope your personal ''new year'' is shaping up to be a GREAT one.

Michelle said...

LOL...I have read this post before, but you still made me chuckle. Have a great SITS day.

Insanitykim said...

I dunno, I am sort of looking forward to 40, because, on the verge of 36, I feel like some weird teenager that doesn't belong anywhere; do I shop the junior section still, or am I really ready for elastic-waist pants? Do I buy the Uggs, or the rhinestone holiday-themed sweater with candy canes and reindeer? Oh the dilemmas...

Happy SITS day to you old lady! (heh heh)

samsstuff said...

I think, as the old saying says, you're only as old as you feel. Sometimes I feel like I must be 200, but most of the time, especially when people mistake me for being much younger than my real age, I feel more like I'm in my 20's & I just turned 49. Thanks for the inspirational words. I don't think that age is what really matters, either. Happy SITS day!

Janet said...

Stopping by from SITS, and I really love your blog. I can definitely relate to this post. I just turned 38, and that seems so old to me for some reason. Much older than 37!

Lindsay Rudolph said...

I love your honesty. We all tend to think about age as a number, but I try my best not to. It is all about how we feel inside, right? Although, lookin' young on the outside doesn't hurt either. You definitely still got it! It is very belated...but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Mary said...

Hey, I'm 52 so you're just a spring chicken! Certainly nowhere near being middle aged. ;) Seriously, in the scheme of things and considering you will probably live a long life, you are YOUNG - don't sweat the numbers as they come. Just celebrate them as another glorious day to do even more!

Happy SITS Day.

Hoity Toity Baby said...

Welcome to the club. We're glad to have you! :) And looking at the picture above...girl you don't look a day over 35! LOL

Anali said...

Belated Happy Birthday! Well, my dad is 77 and says that the two choices that we have are to die young or get old. He's VERY happy to be old and lives life to the fullest. He still plays basketball twice a week! So since everything is relative, you're still quite the youngster. Enjoy your youth! ; )

Quiskaeya said...

LOL at the pic! You look lovely and as the saying says "age ain't nothing but a number." I love using a new birthday as a new year. Great concept.

Michelle said...

I am only 27 but feel older everyday. It is all part of life. The different "seasons". Each season is great for a different reason and I just try to enjoy each stage in life.

LivingInspired said...

Middle 30s is the new 20s nowadays. These are your glory days, eat them up!

Laura said...

Happy SITS Day!!

Sara's Whimsy said...

Happy Belated Birthday!

Hope the first few months of starting fresh have been wonderful!

Shuggilippo said...

This post is so empowering. I've always had a more mature mindset. My mom said I was "Street smart, I know how the world is going to work for me." My sisters were book smart (one's a psychologist and the other on the road to being a doctor) and for the longest time I felt like the "dumb" one for being book smart. Then life brought me on this journey to untimely motherhood and boy was I ever capable of coping.

You don't look a day over 23.

The Mommyologist said...

Age is only a number!! I know how you feel though. I remember thinking that people in their 30s were ancient. Now, at 32, I wonder where the heck my 20s went! LOL!

Midnitefyrfly said...

hehe very cute! I can totally relate to being an "old soul" Its interesting to me that you pointed out that you always felt old.

I am realizing that seems more accurate for me. I always thought I just never grew up, but have always felt oddly mature.

I hope you are enjoying being featured on SITS. I am happy to have found you and enjoy your blog :)

Robin said...

Well, you are now the young spring chicken in your age group...! I can relate to always feeling old. I am an old soul as well, and have always felt that way. My 88 year old grandmother used to tell me that (and I was 19 when she died). I applaud your attitude towards age!
-Robin

Kim said...

When we are in the "cool" group we don't appreciate it....until we are out!

drala625 said...

You are just a spring chicken. I am nearing the big 5-0.

Kristin said...

Amazing how quickly time goes by! But I love the idea of checking in with our selves to do some reflection, goal setting, and dream a bit!! Happy SITS day!

Pollyanna said...

OUCH! I'm only three months away from that sobering bracket. I too feel like somewhere along the way I got on the speed train of life. Remember when you used to look forward to every birthday and the "milestone" ones were the most anticipated? Thinking about the milestones now are a little scary.

Angry Julie Monday said...

I'll be 34 in about 2 weeks and I'm freaking...it hurts as I get older and I'm completely losing my mind.

I love the date of this post, it was my son's 4th birthday!

Cindi @ Moomette's Magnificents said...

Happy Belated Birthday!

My grandmom lived to be 101 and was still going strong in her mid 90's !

K a b l o o e y said...

Hey, belated happy b'day from this old lady first-time mom over from SITS. I'm 45 and have a little one and the only reason I'm trying to keep my mostly gray hair dyed is so I don't get the "granny" comments that will inevitably result. Wish I had the balls to just "own the hair", but at this point, I don't. I also try to slow down my brain, my life, my worry, and just appreciate every moment with my daughter, but time, she keeps moving faster. Ah well, it's worth the rush. And you look great! I always looked young for my age UNTIL I became a mom. Now? Not so much. Congrats on your SITS day.

Elizabeth Patch said...

Happy SITS day and Belated Happy Birthday! 36? you're just getting to the good stuff. My sisters & I always tell each other on our birthdays that 1. this is as young as we'll ever be 2. it's better than the alternative!
your baby is adorable, and even thought its a challenge being a single mom, the joys far outweigh the tough times ( I know, I raised 2 boys on my own)

Tasha - Bellazizas Favorite Things said...

Girl, you make 36 look fab! Only a few more years for me, enjoying every minute! Over from SITS and happy to be here! :)

Shaunells Hair said...

Awesome! Welcome to mommy land. It's the best. And haven't you heard? 36 is the new 26!! I think time just goes faster after you leave your twenties--it's a time paradox. :) Cheers to you!
Happy SITS Day!
shaunellshair.blogspot.com

Cheryl said...

LOL! Time flies by to fast. When we were young it was to slow!

Just Playin' said...

Every single day we wipe the slate clean and start over! 36 is a wonderful age! So much still out there. The best is yet to come!

Rebecca said...

Ugh, I'm still hating being 30 - I miss my '2's!

Trying to embrace it, but not doing nearly as good a job as you are!

Marie said...

36 is the new 16, ha! Embrace and enjoy each year you get. ;)

Jessica Jones said...

I have always been an "old soul" as well and at 26 I too am just now figuring out how to let go and I LOVE IT!

AmericanTribal said...

:)
This post was wonderful.

Actually, I thought the elderly lady in the picture was quite pretty, in her own way.

Happy "New Year" to you and congratulations, again, on your SITS day!!

Kristin said...

I turn 31 next month and I have NO idea where my twenties went. I have a hubs, a house and a bambino. How did that happen? I still feel like a kid. Ah ha

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