Another Year Older

self-portrait 2011 (note the PJ'son the bottom, which is how I drop the kids off at school most days....nice!)

Aging. We all have to do it, and when embraced can be pretty cool. As I inch my way ever closer to 40, I am realizing that my body is kind of amazing. I haven't always been so nice to my body. Haven't always embraced it with open arms. Spent most of my teen years wishing I had been blessed with a skinnier gene pool, and therefore not exactly embracing what God had made. As I entered my 20's, the transition into myself became a little more clear although still murky with trying to keep up with society's version of what we should look like. Getting married and becoming a mom has a way of making things pretty crystal clear. Realizing that my purose in life is no longer about just myself and embracing that was easy as we began our family. This body has carried 3 children. 3. That is pretty darn cool.

Getting towards the end of my 30's is teaching me many things. Most importantly that I feel this is exactly the age I should be. I have earned every lesson taught to me up until today. And that I have also earned every single wrinkle and stretch mark. I am constantly reminded that our bodies are on loan to us. Make the most of what you have been given. This last year has taught me to love this body for what it is. We can all wish for a better looking one to some degree, but I certainly don't want to spend the rest of my life trying to achieve something that isn't really all that important in the end. I am working on loving this body, taking care of it, and being thankful for it. Loving all the flaws and learning to see the wonderful things about it as well.