Happy Birthday to me...

Today I am 34…

Where did the time go, just 10 years ago I was 24. I was just 3 years out of college. I was either in Las Vegas or Florida. Getting or just gotten married (not to c btw). And entering a pretty dark period of my life.

Now I am 34. I am happy. I am healthier than I was at 33 (6+ lbs lighter). I am the happiest I have been I think ever. I have connections with my family so strong that my dad actually lives with us when he is home on the weekend. I have a small but strong and stable circle of friends. My life is normal, and sometimes a little boring but I like it.

I make soap for a living, traveling to craft shows in PA, NY, NJ and MD mostly. I have a wonderful husband now who supports what I do, most often traveling with me on the weekends. He has a great job and I am blessed to have little stress about money- he does all the stressing. He sees me in ways I do not see myself. To him I am beautiful no matter what I look like- chubby, tired, puffy, angry, anything… My biggest blessing is that he sees me in ways that I cannot see myself, and in this he gives me a glimpse of what I am, what I can be.

I knit as a hobby and have found wonderful cyber friends through Ravelry. I love having the ability to make, to have my hands on something tangible, to see something that only exists in this world because I made it so.

My mom has just started crafting herself- she is making wonderful plush animals. We will go to her first craft show this September and now we have even more to talk about- the great but silly crafting world.

B and I are best buddies. We support each other through highs and lows, personal and professional. She is my go to girl, my big sister I never had.

J is my soul sister. We connect on so many levels, we shared a childhood and this magically transformed itself into the realm of adulthood. We don’t pander to each other, we don’t have to entertain each other, we don’t dwell in the past- we celebrate the future and get each other through the present the best we can.

S is my new friend. We are both crafty and she is witty and beautiful and all that I would like to be if I ever became a mom. Along with her has come the “sewing circle” E,E,M,&R mostly, a circle of opinionated, talented, loving, strong, and gentle women who every week we meet teach me something about them, something about the world, and something about me.

There is A, I don’t see her often, but she is funny, and young, and inspiring, and so easy to be proud of.

And the other A- who is my virtual friend. Who pumps me up when I am low, who reads my blog even when we don't have time to catch up, who takes time to see me when I am near, and time to e-mail when I am far. She is a blessing my business has brought me- a customer turned friend.

And lastly, but certainly not leastly, there is K. My friend, my little sis. How such a young body and mind can harbor such an old soul amazes me every day. She teaches me so much about myself. I see my mistakes and try and keep her from making them, she shows me her triumphs and I get to celebrate with her. I can only hope that I am being a good influence. She makes me want to be a better woman so I can be a better role model, a better mentor to her.

Here is thanks to all of my blessings, that the next year shall be better than the last, and that I shall work to be a better person. It is nice to be 34.