The Big Three-One

Today's the day: I'm officially in my third decade. (Is that right, all you 2001-is-the-millineum people??) Anyway, 31 years ago today, my mom and dad entered into parenthood. If only they knew what they were up for...

So on this birthday, I'm wondering why the birthday girl/guy gets all the well wishes and such - when it's really their mother who has the memories (and the triumph) worthy of being celebrated annually? I know this is weird, but I woke up this morning thinking, "Hm. 31 years ago right now, Mom was in excruciating pain." So Happy My Birthday, Mom!

And I'm also thinking about a classic and hilarious episode of Friends in which Phoebe freaks out on her 30th birthday because she hasn't done all these things on her list of "Things To Do Before Turning 30" - only to find out later that she had been mistaken about her birth year, and that she was actually turning 31! That's kinda how I feel today. Not that I have a list (maybe I'll do that later), but seriously, am I already In My Thirties now? So weird.

And now, to ramble even further from the point, I am thinking about what I might've had on such a list as Phoebe's... which brings me to thinking about a Hypothesis I've been developing: There are some things (adventures?) in life that you can only appreciate during key periods of life; if you miss out on them then, you will never be able to appreciate them in the same way ever again.

Take, for instance, a two-week tour of all of Europe. Remember how that was the kind of thing rich kids used to do in England and early America when they came "of age"? (Well, perhaps they allowed themselves more travel time.) But anyway, there's a reason they did it at that point - the perfect mixture of energy and a burning desire to See the World - along with a healthy dose of good humor and the ability to sleep in the most uncomfortable (and perhaps uncleanly) of situations. I think I was pretty lucky to have had my own version of this during my sophomore year in college, when I participated in a semester abroad program. At the end, a friend and I purchased a Eurail Pass and proceeded to visit 14 European countries in 13 days! It was a crazy trip - we often slept on the train, and we walked who knows how many miles, carrying our luggage from an entire semester - and I'm sure those two weeks cost more than the rest of the semester in London had - but wow! It was an adventure like none other! And I will NEVER do it (or want to do it) again.

Same thing for Medieval Times, that crazy restaurant where you feast on turkey legs and watch [actors dressed as] knights joust for the favor of the king. So fun when we went in high school on a youth group trip! So not-as-fun-sounding now!

Or how about ear piercings? I was dyyyyying to get my ears pierced by the time Mom finally let me at age 12, and then I honored my 18th birthday with one extra piercing on one lobe. I eventually matched that on the other lobe so I'd have an even two on each ear - and then I added the ultra-cool cartilage piercing when I turned 21. (Ouch, ouch, ouch.) Now I'm back to just the normal two, and I can't fathom the reasoning behind my prior decisions... (only thankful they were not tattoos!)

On the other hand, there are some activities of this nature that will never lose their charm for me, no matter how old and grouchy and fussy-about-getting-a-good-night's-sleep that I get. I will always love Six Flags, I think, and ride the rides as long as health (and young children) allow me to do so. I will never tire of seeing new places - provided my trip is properly budgeted and my overnight accommodations do not include the words "youth hostel." And I refuse to lose the joy of birthdays. There, I said it. It may be weird to suddenly be 31, but it's not a bad weird - it's a very, very happy one. I won't go piercing anything in honor of it, but I will happily eat a large slice of chocolate cake, open sweet cards from friends and family, stress over how much my husband will spend on my gift (and then love every ounce of it, no matter how much or little it cost), and thank the Lord for one more year.

A little Pictorial Birthday History, for your viewing pleasure...