2.03.2013

come fire, come water, come karma; we're all in transition

This past Friday, I turned 27. My husband took the day off of work and we celebrated by taking Ethan to his My Gym class together, followed by a trip to the mall for Ethan's favorite gnocchi alfredo lunch. Our mall recently converted their food court to what they call "The Café's at Boca" and included was the addition of an Italian restaurant that has a red Fiat parked behind the counter. Ethan recognizes the very parking lot of the mall as the place that holds this Fiat and all the gnocchi his belly can muster and his sheer delight as we enter through the mall doors, tempted by the thrill of gnocchi and bread with fresh Parmesan cheese is hilarious. When his favorite employee is working and honks the horn of the Fiat for him, well, it might as well be Christmas. Chants of "car. CAR!" can be heard throughout the day, alfredo sauce lodged behind Ethan's ears, under his fingernails, in the crevices of his nose. As if I'd rather spend 27 any other way than covered in sauce and tossing pennies into the fountain in the center of the mall with a little boy who manages to find the magic in everything.

27 has been a welcomed year. I stopped fearing the advancement of my age once Ethan was here and everyday got a little newer, a little less scary, a little more filled with actual purpose and productivity. I don't wish to rush the days, not even the bad ones or the sick ones, but I will welcome thirty when it does arrive. As a girl who is married to the same boy she's been with since 15, there hasn't truly been a time when I felt particularly saturated in youth or, at the very least, my age.

It was a particularly busy weekend of birthday celebrations, filled with a best friend spa day (or, rather, haircuts we were both desperately overdue for), my sister's first dance showcase of the season, a celebratory birthday dinner at the restaurant that used to be my home away from home as I closed out my teenage years. All of those nights spent under those same lights, at those same tables, as the sky faded to black, talking about life and feelings and the scary but oddly thrilling promise of future over the open mic night performers. As I prepare to close out my 20's, it only felt appropriate to spend a dinner there, a restaurant that will always be my happy place. Dinner is a little earlier these days and there isn't ample time to dredge sugar sticks in overtly strong lattes and it's hard to believe there was once a time I thought nothing to be better than that -- but there is. 27 has brought me contentment. I welcome it, all of it, the feeling of peace and complacency that covers me like a blanket.

We closed out my birthday weekend with a meandering trip around the farmer's market this morning, not needing anything more than the fresh air and the temperatures in the low 70's that are about to leave as quickly as they appeared. If life is anything, it is good. It is so very good.

9 comments:

  1. Happy Belated Birthday!!!

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  2. Ah Sounds wonderful. So good to be at peace. And content. So glad you had a wonderful birthday and are hopefully looking towards year 27! So sweet about your little man and his love of gnocci! haha.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much -- it's definitely a great place to be!

      Oh man, he LOVES that gnocchi! It's as if the whole point of the mall is just for those few brief moments at lunch, haha.

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  3. Happy Birthday sweet friend! It sound like you are in a great place right now. Wishing you all the best in this new year of life. xx

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