Another year. I'm 35 today.



A good friend is turning 40 soon, and we both have joked that we can't possibly be 35 and 40, so we have decided to turn 30 and 35 instead. I have to say that years 30-35 were much better than 20-25.


My brother and I were talking about parenting. I was telling him how I couldn't imagine being a parent in my 20's. When you are in your 20's, you still have a lot of life lessons to learn, and are still discovering who you are. At 30 (something!) you have a good sense of who you are and where you are going. Life is much calmer in this decade -you tend to worry less about what others think of you, instead focusing on what you think of yourself.

Craig summed it up well when he said you can't measure your life by what you didn't do in the past, but by what you want to do now and what you will do in the future. I like that philosophy. Your past shapes you, but it doesn't define you.

Craig and I were lucky enough to have our mom at home when we were growing up. She worked part time afternoons, which meant that she there for us when we came home for lunch. On the afternoons she worked, we hung out next door until dad came home. It was the best. Mom didn't go back full-time until we were both in junior high school, and when she did, she asked us first. Moms always put kids and family first. That's our job.

My life took a left turn when Lily came along. Kids really do change your life. I thought that I would go back to work full time after a year. As my year progressed, I knew that I couldn't do it. She will only be little for a short time; I can't take back that time. I can always go back to work. Looking back at life, no one says they wish they had worked more. It's always about time with loved ones. If you ask someone if they could have whatever they wanted, just for a day, the answer usually involves time with a loved one. So my gift to Lily is my time.

Mom, I know that 35 years ago, you were wondering what would become of that little bundle in your arms. Well, she grew up with one of the best role models a girl could ask for. I can only hope I do as good a job with my little girl. I love you.