My birthday

Today is my birthday.  Usually on my birthday I want to sleep in, be pretty lazy and maybe get a little bit spoiled.  This year my birthday was pretty different.  It started with my alarm going off at 6:30 am. Why?  Because I had signed up for a 5k in Wexford.  I figured the best way to celebrate turning another year older was to do something beneficial for my health that is also fun.  It was a smart decision that I'm glad I made.  A wonderful present to myself.

When the alarm went off this morning, I laid in bed reflecting on how my life has changed since last year.   Last year we spent the evening at the Children's Museum.  I remember needing to sit down a few times because I was tired or my feet hurt.  I was glad to be making memories with my kids and we had a lot of fun.  I can't say I wasn't happy (because I was).  Truth be told, it drives me nuts to see so many people totally tearing apart their former selves.  Your life wasn't any less worth living or any less awesome because you weighed a bit more.  But that doesn't mean there isn't room for growth regardless of your weight.

I've had a lot of growth as my body is shrinking.  The first is that I have a lot more energy and stamina.  For example, this morning I ran a 5k.  Then we ran around a few places with the kids.  And I capped the evening off with ushering (where I stand and walk a lot).  The me of last year wouldn't have had the energy to do all these things in one day.

The other major difference is my attitude and self confidence.  I'll talk about this in a separate post, but through a variety of experiences and people I've met I've been able to dramatically increase my self confidence which leads to me being able to have so many more amazing experiences both individually and with my family.

So, yes, I chose to run on my birthday, and it was a wonderful gift to myself.  One that I will continue to give myself as long as possible.  And hopefully I've started a new tradition of starting my birthday with a run.