Day 160 The Perfect Mom Project

I am moving slow today. Mark took me out last night and we were joined by many of our good friends for a celebration of the big birthday I have coming up. We had a great time, perhaps too great, considering it is 2:30 in the afternoon, and I usually write early in the morning. I was honored that my friends came out and enjoyed the evening with us.

I was so excited when I turned forty years old, because I felt that people would finally take me seriously. I thought the golden door to adulthood, was finally open for me. I still tell people that I believe that when I turned forty, people took me more seriously. I am starting to realize that it is not a magic number that opened that door, it was my inner spirit. How I present myself now is with more confidence and strength. I know what I want in my life and I am determined to live that way. I know now that I always had the keys in my hand, I just never used them. I am not sure what the next decade will bring for me, but I do know that I will remain confident and strong.

I feel fortunate to have made some wonderful life long friends that gather around me and help and guide me. My friends are also there when I screw up to smack me down and set me straight. I have a husband that has grown up with me. We started out young (Him a little younger then me) and we have learned that love can grow, sometimes even bigger then you think your heart can hold. With nurturing, laughter, hard times and fun, we have worked our way into a marriage that I am grateful for everyday. Mark is my very best friend and my one true love. Through him I have learned that there is such a thing as unconditional love. I have also learned that marriage takes work. The kind of hard work that when you are done you can look at the job and know that it was worth all the sweat! The icing on my life’s cake is my children. I love each one the same and differently. Each one of these wonderful girls has a light that shines and brings a wonderful brilliance to our lives together. They are worth every breath I take and they are worth writing about every single day, because they are so special and they complete my life.

I hope that no matter what is put in front of this mom’s door in the days, weeks and years to come that I remember that I have these gifts. I also hope that I remember that there will be many doors that close and it takes just a quick nudge to open a window and keep moving forward. I have everything I need to do that, because I am (if nothing else) one very lucky lady no matter how old I am!

Today’s picture was taken on my fortieth birthday as we celebrated in New Orleans with my parents