It's Your Birthday, So Act Like It Is.

Hey readers!! 

Today's post is about another epiphany I had on yesterday. I love these moments because they are so much more memorable and it's the closure I get from all the moments I've said "I know I'm supposed to learn something from this storm."  Yesterday I had a learning experience. 

Many of you know, if you've been following my blog, the last few months have been well...a roller coaster ride. So, here is one moment I never elaborated on. I guess I wasn't ready until now. 

My 29th birthday was in August and my husband surprised me with a trip to Vegas. He knew I'd had a rough go at things and I really NEEDED that break. Our flight and hotel were paid in full and we were going to spend 4 nights and 5 days in Las Vegas. Boy was I excited! The night before our flight was scheduled to leave we stayed up all night packing, laughing and enjoying each other's company because the next day was my birthday and our flight left on MY BIRTHDAY! ❤️ Around 2AM it was time to go to bed but instead at 2AM we got a call saying my father-in-law wasn't doing well and was being taken into ICU. This man is like a father to me. He has been in my life for 12 years now.  What we were going to do was a no brainier, there was no conversation needed, but it didn't make the pain any easier. I didn't just have to cancel my birthday but for Emanuel and me this was one more scary moment, one more "I can't lose anyone else right now," one more why our family, one more why me. 

It was too late to get any money back from our trip, so we lost that, dropped everything, and took those clothes we'd packed, loaded them in the car, and drove to MS. I hadn't cried from the pain over the last few months but on this day, I cried. It was officially too much and my load was too heavy. Lyfe Jennings sings a song that says "can't be nothing all that wrong with crying. If anybody says that they're that strong they're lying. See crying is like taking your soul to the laundromat." That day, on that drive, I took my soul to the laundromat. 

After the scariness passed away and I knew my family was okay and well. I realized I missed my birthday. I hadn't made that day up, after all you only have one birthday a year. I'd planned that day over and over in my head. I purchased a "birthday girl" shirt, necklace, and shot glass. I even picked a theme song. (I was excited and you only turn 29 once so don't judge me lol)

So I've gone everyday and in the back of my mind feeling like I didn't have a birthday this year. At least, until my epiphany happened. 

Yesterday I was in the mirror doing my hair and putting on makeup. I was dancing and listening to Pandora as I always do and it happened. My birthday theme song came on. I kid you not...EVERY TIME I've listened to Pandora since August that song has come on. It doesn't matter if I listen to Pandora for 10 minutes in the morning while showering before work or 1 hour on the weekend while cleaning.  (Sometimes there are songs I want to hear on Pandora and they NEVER come on. I end up YouTubing it to get my fix). So I'm standing in the mirror and it comes on..."my song" comes on, and I REALLY start singing and dancing. For the record my theme song is Hunter Hayes' 21 and what's funny is for about 2 weeks after my birthday it made me sad when it came on.

So, I'm so happy at this moment and I'm in such a great mood and that song comes on. I feel a since of warmth come over me and I say aloud "Thank You God." Not for that song or for some material reason but for my family and for being alive. For being here on THIS DAY, another day I can celebrate. It was at that moment I realized life...my life, is precious and I should celebrate every single day like it's MY birthday. Every day I'm blessed beyond measure to be here. If it wasn't for that moment I'd still be carrying around baggage from that day. Baggage I didn't realize was baggage until that moment.

Moving forward my goal is to wake up everyday like it is my birthday. I know some days will be better than others but I want to wake up smiling, happy, and with a reason to celebrate. I want to quickly identify baggage and leave it where it is before it starts to weigh me down and infiltrate my happiness, my celebration, my reason to smile, and my gratefulness. 

So, whatever baggage you have that's weighing you down or the baggage you're slowly stock piling and will eventually weigh you down. Let it go. Choose today! Choose to be happy and choose to live everyday like it's your birthday. Don't be afraid to sing, dance, or cry. Always look towards the heavens and Thank God for His power, His life lessons, His guidance... His everything.  

I love you all, 
XOXO 

Birthday Girl