I turned 35 today.
Birthday attention is uncomfortable for me. I even changed my profile settings so nobody would be notified. That didn’t work– gotta love the Facebook. I certainly wouldn’t have the same life without it. So many customers have become friends and friends and strangers have become customers and team members because of it.
If it wasn’t for this work, which doesn’t feel like work most days, I wouldn’t be able to take my birthday off to spend with my kids. Having small kids is so good for the birthday soul. They are almost as excited about their parents birthday as their own. My office was decorated on the sly to extreme proportions by my one-in-a-million assistant. Seriously. I was shocked and giddy!
I was given a handmade banner (thanks for helping Grandma CiCi!) an antique ice cream scoop, and a white enameled colander/berry bowl from a small business in downtown Racine from the kids.
Maren’s planned a pool party for a few friends today, and her buddy Kyra made me a hand-stitched owl and a painting for my office. How adorable and thoughtful is that?
Jim woke me up earlyyyyy to tell me that we are going to NYC over the 4th of July to see my little sister, something I kept trying to get him supportive of. It all makes sense now (although I was crazy irritated with his non- response and extreme avoidance when I was trying to get him on board with me going!) Now he will join me and get to see New York City for the first time! It’s my favorite dirty city. All I want to do is people-watch, eat my face off, and clean all the filthy things with Norwex when I am there.
We ended the night with a gluten free cake (thanks again Amazing Assistant Courtney) and everyone got to take a turn with the single candle on their piece of cake while we sang “Happy Almost Birthday, Happy Half-Birthday, Happy 3/4 Birthday” to all 3 kids. My middle daughter agreed to learn the first line of Happy Birthday on the violin for me. You can see it on Instagram just over on the left side of this page. She’s a cheeky monkey, that one!
Simple gifts and big splurges. Both made this birthday incredibly fantastic. Tonight I will go to bed and again, give thanks for healthy kids, a year filled with lessons and laughter and love, and a gratitude for a career that has changed our lives for me personally, and for us financially. It’s often hard to comprehend how all this has come about. A product that our country needs, a team of women who are some of the best sellers and biggest hearted women in the company, and a passion to just keep going day in and day out. I don’t ever stop feeling gratitude for all of it.
If there is a gift you give yourself this year, I hope it’s something new that stretches you. (Of course I think the best gift is joining me , but whatever you are or aim to be, be a good one, enjoy and trust the process, take a few risks, and stay uncomfortable. That’s where the magic happens!)
