BIRTHDAY, HAPPY, YAY!!!

I'll just get this out of the way, and say IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! HOORAY! Usually, in years past, I haven't gotten too excited about it because it generally ended up being a letdown. This year, however, I took the day off of work (great start with that!), and have made weekend plans with some close friends. In the past, every year on my birthday I waited for the flood of Facebook notifications and text messages to come in throughout the day. In the years after I graduated college, I've noticed that this "flood" is now more of a "trickle". As sad as it was at first ("Why don't people like me?!"), I just kind of got over it. Those people weren't really good friends anyway. And even the people that I work with, whom I once considered good friends, I now realize are simply work friends. They're just people I talk to while at work, and that's it. In a way, I'm kind of glad about that. The past few years have definitely been trying, especially with my parents divorce and with good friendships being put to the test (with some of them not passing!). Even through all of that, if you're able to get through it and keep your head up, I think it really does make you stronger. It makes you realize the important things in life, and to not waste even one more second on the things that aren't. I think the older you get, and the more distanced from high school and from college you get, the more you realize who's really there for you. Those friends are the one worth keeping. Those friends are the ones to be thankful for, and be happy that they're in your life and you're in theirs. Those friends are in it for the long haul. And to those friends, I say thank you. On another, somewhat similar note, I got an email today and in it was this quote: "Don't just count your years, make your years count." How perfect is that?! It fits right along with everything I've been trying to do with my life, and with Ruby July, and I think it's a great mindset to have. Make the most out of every single day. I know I have the tendency to get wrapped up in the daily routine, and just let life fly by. That's not something I want to do anymore. It only took me twenty-seven years, but I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of them. No thanks, quarter-life-crisis, I'll have none of you anymore! I will have some of this polar bear cake though! YUM! :D