I’ve grown to really enjoy this little tradition I have created for myself. I like to reflect and see how much I have learnt… so just like the last couple of years, before my birthday tomorrow, I have taken just a minute to write a little list of the things that I have learnt and the ways I have grown. A list of 32 things to be thankful for, to acknowledge or just remember before I turn 33.

1. I hope tomorrow will be the weirdest birthday experience I experience in my life time
2. I am much happier with who I am as a person now then I have been in years
3. I am learning to be comfortable in my physical skin… and learning to trust my body again
4. I am learning to be comfortable with being both mentally tough and mentally fragile at the same time
5. I am learning to slow down and think about what I want and why rather than just pushing to have it all
6. I am learning to enjoy the perfectly imperfect both in me and the world… Facebook live is hard for everyone… even the wiggles
7. I need sleep… and I am better when I go to be early… even though I am also most creative and fun late at night… it’s a hard line to walk
8. I love being Isaac’s mum… but it’s a different hard to what I imagined
9. Consistent baby steps will still move you forward
10. I have a high tolerance for children’s music and I am not ashamed of it
11. Taking time to do indulgent things for myself isn’t a waste… but it does need moderation
12. I am very lucky to be in a partnership marriage… I am heard and respected and valued…
13. my faith doesn’t have to fit the same box everyone else’s does… God is big enough to handle me, my questions and my opinions and his grace is sufficient for my mistakes
14. I can use less and enjoy more… my choices have an impact even if I can’t fix everything
15. Flossing is tedious but surprisingly satisfying
16. I choose not to live without the orthodontic bar holding my bottom teeth in place
17. I am very thankful to once again be living in the same hemisphere as my bestie
18. Life is short… phone calls are easy… just call those you love
19. Don’t over react to you toddler… they are more sensitive than you anticipate
20. When Isaac asks for a cuddle… always… always say yes… even when his hands are covered in spaghetti
21. It’s ok to have all of the feelings… even if you can’t hold them in
22. It’s also ok to say no and stop listening, watching, reading things that you can’t handle… you don’t have to know, see, feel everything just because everyone else is
23. Just cook the meals… your body and your wallet will thank you
24. Remember that little eyes and ears are watching you… try to behave accordingly
25. You have to let the toddler take risks… he did not come with bubble wrap…
26. Be flexible in your travel plans… it will lead to far less disappointment… I will see you one day NZ South Island west coast!
27. Enjoy the world with the two-year-old… they way he sees it is way more exciting than how my tired eyes do
28. Life is too short for boring earrings
29. Wear more colour… it always looks better than you think it will
30. I am thankful to the lockdown for giving me more family time… for long days with Isaac and Dave
31. I am the office distraction… it turns out I am significantly more productive when I work from home
32. Just keep reading, walking and singing… they are all making you a better version of you

Here we go 33… it’s going to be a good year even if we don’t leave the house again for a while.