One Year Older

I turned 27 last week. Look Ma, I admitted it. I’m not sure why, but I really struggled with this birthday. I am in my late twenties. I can hear the sarcasm from my mother now, “Yes, Dear, you are SOOO old.” But the fact that I can clearly remember twenty years ago sort of freaks me out. I am, however, enjoying more and more that people ask me who is older, my sister or I. Sorry, Rach.

This past April I received my 5 year pin at CBU and I was excited for the additional vacation time I was about to accrue. Yet when I sat and thought that this meant I have been out of college for 5 years, I became a little uncomfortable. To think that there are no longer any undergraduates at CBU that attended the same time I did. Except that one soccer player that keeps starting and stopping – graduate already! In fact, one of the counselors in my office and I were talking about how much school cost when we first started. In 1999, I paid half of what CBU students are paying today.

Next summer will be my 10 year high-school reunion! Not that I will go, I merely reiterating that I am old. Kids I used to babysit have now gone to college. I remember going to summer camp in high school and thinking the college student counselors were so old and mature. I don’t want to go back in time. I don’t think you could pay me to go back to high school. College was fun, but was still stressful trying to figure out who I was and who I wanted to be. I merely want to freeze time and be 25 (not 27) for just a few more years.

In all honesty, I had a wonderful birthday. I took the day off work and Kevin and I just did random things. Kevin’s boss is moving to Virginia so I went with him to the luncheon after sleeping in. We went by Costco. Took a nap. Went to the movies. Then finished the evening over a pepperoni and pineapple pizza at CPK. Kevin gave me a beautiful card. Let me preface by saying last year’s birthday card had a bobble head of George W. Bush on the front. I don’t even remember what is said. But this year’s card said “If I had my life to live over again, next time I’d find you sooner so I could love you longer.” Now I know I have become a sap since meeting Kevin, but that made me tear up a little; especially since he had accomplished the point of a card. A card should say what you mean. We have had many conversations on how to pick out a card. He gets mad at me when I simply sign my name to a card. I let him know I take hours finding a card to say it for me. Why would I pay $3.95 to write my own card. To prove his point I received a general thank you card for our anniversary; inside it he wrote, “Thanks for being my wife.” So this card is even more special to me!

It was a wonderful 27th birthday.