This week was my 23rd Birthday.
I suppose this should go w/out saying because obviously I’m older than I’ve ever been before, but I felt more grown up than I ever have this week.
I was walking to my hotel room during a break in meetings for my work retreat and it hit me. I’m one of those people walking around a hotel lobby for work and not pleasure (not to say that I did not have a good time, because I did). I walked past the pool filled with people on vacation getting a tan with my thick paper-filled binder and wondered if an on-looker wold believe I was there for work. I got my first paycheck. I got money taken out to go towards retirement and union fees and health insurance. I got my dental insurance card in the mail. I went to a rally at the LAUSD headquarters downtown, stood 20 feet away from the mayor. A group of us met up at a co-worker’s house to work on stuff together. In the past, working on school stuff meant going to a friend’s parent’s house; in college, my friends’ rented apartment. Now when I say I went to someone’s house it’s literally THEIRS.
The fact that I am marveling at all of this is probably more of an indicator that I am not quite a citizen of grown-up land yet. But still, this is the first birthday in which I have felt so different in the weeks leading up to the big day as well as that actual week.
The week was not all work and no play! I would say that I started to ride the birthday wave a week and a half ago when I met up with Eileen for dinner to celebrate both of our bdays. Since that lovely dinner, I’ve been surprised with a gift on my desk at the apartment from Anna, celebrated briefly by new co-workers, been treated to a lovely evening with my small group, enjoyed two wonderfully noodle-y dinners and Legally Blonde at the Pantages with Andrew, spent Friday night with Sitha and Monica enjoying delicious dinner and desert in la, and had a very happy time last night with dinner compliments of my parents and dancing with a great group. Not even to mention the calls, texts, and online messages that I also appreciate so much. All of the attention would be too much for me to handle on a frequent basis, but for one week out of the year, it is the best thing in the world.
Thank you everybody. I know that I have not been able to be there as much as in the past during this year… to have everybody still celebrate with me made me feel so loved. I was blown away.
I am blessed by YOU. God is good.
