The Honest Truth On...

                                                          My Birthday

     My birthday is a bittersweet kind of day. It marks the day when my life took a sharp turn. On my sixteenth birthday I got home from work to the news that my dad lost his job. That kind of news can take the celebratory mood away from any day much less one’s birthday. And I’m pretty certain when my dad told me he lost his job I said “You’re kidding”. I honestly didn’t really believe him… until he didn’t go to work the next day. Fast forward a year and I was spending my birthday packing boxes to move.

      Don’t get me wrong, I love my life up here, but there is something to be said for home. The place I grew up. Where I learned how to ride a bike. Where I opened my American girl doll on Christmas morning. Where I practiced hours of piano. Where Sunday afternoons were spent together eating food and aimlessly looking at ads in the newspaper. There is something to be said for home. So while most people get excited about their birthday I am usually feeling pretty nostalgic. It reminds me of change (of which I’m not a huge enthusiast) and what I had to leave behind.

     Despite my sometimes melancholy mood about my birthday, today I am feeling pretty blessed. Mims, sunshine, cheesecake, singing, lotion, and a new board game. These may seem like random unimportant things, but they mean something to me. They remind me of the people in my life. If it were not for that I would only be thinking about the sad part of my birthday, but these things make me feel pretty blessed.   

The Honest Truth On...

                                      February 14^th

        Folks, it’s just a date on the calendar. Stop letting it affect your outlook on life. Every other day of the year we belt the melodies of love and loss as we drive our cars, take a shower, or cook a quesadilla. But as soon as February 14^th comes up people start to become the worst skeptics of love. Sure the aisles at Walgreens and Meijer are bursting with pink and red paraphernalia, but should that prevent us from stopping to think about the people in our lives we love and appreciate? February 14^th is as commercialized as December 25^th but that doesn’t stop me from celebrating and observing Christmas and what is behind it.

       Yes, Valentine’s Day is the drama queen of holidays. Yes, middle school dances and Spongebob valentines are ridiculous. But my parents pausing in the chaos of life to go out for dinner? Not ridiculous at all.  Our culture over thinks this day. It used to be cute valentines that were made by hand. They were thoughtful. It’s our own fault February 14^th is the beast it is. Our culture has put the emphasis on these elements that supposedly make the day special.  

       Taking the time to stop and appreciate the people in your life is worth it. Doesn’t matter what date is on the calendar. Forget the carnations, shut up and just pause (besides carnations are not even pretty).