It’s My Party…

Post written by Bridget Strub.

…and today I’m going to write what I want to, if that’s ok with you. Tomorrow is my 27th birthday, and I’m feeling a bad case of the “Holy cow! A year of my life is over, where did it go?!” syndrome. As I prepare to blow out twenty-seven candles on my hypothetical birthday cake, my mind is spinning with lots of different things. I’ve been trying to sort them out, but hopefully by the end of this article it can become a little clearer to me, and in the process offer you with some nuggets to reflect on as well.

Before I go into that though, I do have a bit of restaurant advice for you. If you haven’t yet signed up to receive e-mails from your favorite chain restaurants, then you absolutely need to do so before your birthday month. If you read this article by Steve, it’ll explain a little more, but trust me when I say it’s an absolute necessity that allows you to celebrate your birthday all month long with some really tasty bargains! I’ve already taken advantage of my free entrée at Chicago Uno Pizzeria, and plan to cash in my coupon for a free Mile High Ice Cream Pie at Champps later this week, and that’s only the half of it!

So back to the birthday thoughts. As a child, a birthday meant elaborate castles and princesses carved from moist cake, slathered in rich, creamy frosting. It meant sharing fluffy cupcakes baked into ice cream cones with my classmates and teachers. As a teenager, every year was a new surprise. It was not unusual to be met outside of school by a limo, a car overflowing with balloons, or a bag piper playing “Happy Birthday” as my entire high school passed by. Yes, my parents knew how to do birthdays right!

As an “adult” (I guess that’s the appropriate term for me to use here), my birthdays have become less about the parties and presents, though I won’t say I’m too old to refuse either of those, and more about appreciating who I’ve become in the previous year, and who has been around me to shape me into that person. With that in mind, I’d like to share with you some of the reflections I’ve had about the people who are closest to me and how they’ve changed me this year. I want to do this for two reasons. First, the people that are most important in my life need to be recognized for how awesome they are. Secondly, in sharing with you I hope you’re able to recognize the people who are important in your lives and make sure you take time to recognize what change is occurring in you because of them.

Family
My family, as made evident in the earlier discussion about birthday celebrations, is pretty awesome. My parents are fun and overwhelmingly loving. As I realize this, our relationship moves more towards friendship rather than the traditional parent/daughter roles. I can confide in them, vent to them, be challenged by them, laugh with them and that’s just over the phone! It’s amazing the type of friendship that can evolve with the people who have seen you at your worst, best, and everywhere in between.

In addition to my parents, I continue to fall more in love with my in-laws. I know that many people have horror stories about the crazy antics their mother, father and sibling-in laws pull on a regular basis. I, however, was blessed to marry into one of the most generous and genuine families on the planet. There is so much love in that family that I wish I could bottle it up and carry it with me wherever I go. I’m amazed that I can truly feel like a daughter in a family that I wasn’t born in to.

God
As new as my relationship has become with my parents, I feel the same is true with my relationship with God. This year found me stuck in a few places, spiritually and emotionally, that I had grown quite accustomed to living in. I didn’t see the need, nor was I in a place to leave “stuck-land.” But God, in his ever-so-God-like way nudged me, sometimes gently, other times not so much, so that I was able to move beyond stuck. In hindsight I can’t believe I had ever allowed myself to settle in those places. I was sitting in a sandbox when He was calling me to play out on the beach.

Friends
I may be a slow learner, but I think I’m just now starting to get the hang of how to be a good friend. My mom says it’s because my frontal lobe has finally developed. Whatever it is, I’m thankful for it. I have always valued my friends, but have not always followed through with showing them. I am a chronic non-caller-backer. I have known some of my current friends for over six years, and for most of those six years they’ve expressed their immense frustration with me because of my neglect in contacting them. For many, this would be just cause to throw their hands up in dismay and move on to more fit, better calling-back friends. Some of my friends, however have loved me through my stupidity and patiently called me until I got back in touch with them. The more I realize their patience, the more I love them and attempt to be more conscientious about contacting them. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying!

Pete
I have celebrated my last five birthdays with Pete. I thought I knew and loved him when we got married, but each year I spend with him I learn more about him and fall deeper in love with him than the year before. I genuinely enjoy spending time with him. He is my best friend and confidant. He inspires me to be a better person. His servant’s heart is bigger than I’ve ever seen in anyone else. His patience and perseverance goes further than anyone I’ve ever known.

This year for my birthday Pete was going to buy me a new winter coat. That plan was foiled when I found one earlier last month. So, Pete decided to do the next best thing and redecorate our bedroom, something I’ve wanted to do for a couple of years now. This was inspired when I woke up crying one morning because I couldn’t sleep on our fifteen year old mattress that felt more like plywood than a comfy place to rest your head. He surprised me by buying us a new mattress, complete with a pillow top! It did not end there. Pete threw our budget half way out the window this month and decided to paint our room, install a new light, get a new comforter set, and build us a bed. Yes, I said build. As in he is sitting on the floor right now chiseling out slots to fit the side boards into. We’ve never had a real bed, much less a head board, so Pete has taken it upon himself to make our new room a palace, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Do you know many men who, in the midst of a busy school year, would drop everything just to make his wife happy? I do, his name is Pete Strub, and I love him!

You may be wondering why I shared all of this with you, or how you can possibly apply it to your life. My birthday wish for you is that you’re able to look differently at the people close to you. Make sure you take the time to appreciate them for who they are and the fullness they bring to your life. I challenge you to fall in love with them again. Let them know you are grateful for them. Don’t wait until your next birthday to recognize how much they’ve played a part in shaping you into the person you’ve become.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!