Turning 36
Today is my 36 th birthday. I don’t feel a need to hide the real number and am not afraid of getting older. Through volunteering with hospice, I’ve learned what a gift and privilege it is to have birthdays. Not everyone gets more years. I find myself looking back today. This is the fourth time I have had a “6” in my age. I have been reminiscing about my birthdays when I turned 6, 16 and 26. It’s fun to look back and see my growth. My life and situation really changed for each age, especially since it is a snapshot of when I was a child, a teenager, and newly married adult. Each age had aspects I enjoyed and things that I lacked. At age 6, I had fun and family. I had a happy childhood with lots of time to play and explore, along with a supportive family. I felt secure and loved. I had it all…except physical strength. Monkey bars. I quit gymnastics, something that I was really interested in, because I couldn’t even hang on the monkey bars. I didn’t have any upper body stren