Happy (Early) Birthday to Me! I'm (turning) 25!!!

I cannot believe I'm sitting here writing this entry a few hours before I turn 25!!!

25 years is a very long time to be in a profession, technologically speaking, in medicine or in a marriage, but age-wise, it's quite young....part of me still feels really young; like an infant, "still wet behind the ears" (as my mother would put it) and another part of me feels much older than 25, wiser, more experienced, but in a very good and blessed way!

What an amazing (in every sense of the word) and truly miraculous blessing my life has been thus far!

I cannot believe I am (almost) 25!!! What an accomplishment! What a miracle!

All life is precious, all life is miraculous, and mine would be so much less so without all of you, I know that for darn sure!

But considering where I started (six weeks early, non-functioning kidney, un-grown esophogus, etc, etc, etc...32 surgeries later)....WOW!

This day is not just mine to celebrate, but a day of celebration for my mother (especially my mother), my father, my grandmother, my other grandparents, the incredible team of doctors and nurses and other medical professionals, and also, each and every single person who has touched my life along the way!

It's a day for my sweetheart, Colin, too; for loving me and accepting me! For causing me to grow in so many wonderful ways! For being my fiance', wanting to be my husband and taking care of me!

It's a day for my beautiful sisters too, who have helped shape who I am, and inspire me everyday!

It is a day for my beloved friends who embrace me and accept me and love me even through my faults & flaws! God Bless You All--seriously!

And mostly, as with anyone's birthday, it is day for God....I thank Him, most of all, because it is through Him that all of the other things are possible!

I thank God, truly and wholly, for the sheer abundance of blessings in my life! For His strength, and mine; for His joy and mine; for His grace and mercy, for His patience and forgiveness His and ultimate power!!!! Thank you, Lord!

I am totally elated that it's my (almost) birthday...but please don't think for one second that I think this day is all about me; because it's not! (Read above!)

This day is so much bigger and better than me; and if I do say so myself, I think it is pleasing to God to celebrate one of His creations! He created me in His image, as His child, and for that, I'm eternally grateful! He's created so much on this grand earth of His; I know I'm just one teeny, tiny minisculle drop in the bucket; but I sure hope I'm a shinning drop! I hope a drop of love and faith and strength! (I'm sure I'm a drop of "a real pain in the butt too" but hey, I am human, aren't we all?) I don't know if I am or not, but I try to be, I really do--the drop of love and faith and strength--not the pain in the butt! LOL!

And, I always have had and always will have, a soft spot for birthdays; all the birthdays of those that I love! They're such a blessing! Each year I get to know and love and have another person in my life is such a miracle! I consider each birthday to be tremendously important and joyful! Each and every single birthday is cause for celebration!

Life is tough, but so incredibly amazing, and surviving an entire year of that, let alone one day, is reason enough to celebrate!

I feel a real sense of accomplishment this evening! I definately feel like an adult, like a woman...I'm sure I'll look back on this evening and think "yeah, oh my, I was so very, very young," and I am, but still, I've always been a little ahead of myself sometimes; that can be a good or bad thing, depending on the situation or the day!

But truthfully, I do feel so happy, proud, content and peaceful! My life is not perfect, but it's miraculous none the less!

In many ways, I feel like I'm just NOW getting started, and perhaps, I am...who knows what's around the corner, but shoot, if I've survived these first 25 years, I can survive anything....I look forward to the next 25 years, I've got 25 years 'till 50 and I plan on doing a lot, writing a lot, laughing a lot, loving a lot , saying a lot, and most all, learning a lot!!!

I'm just so incredibly grateful for my life, the people in it, and every single moment of the last quater of a century! I'm so happy to be turning 25, I plan on thoroughly enjoying the day, tomorrow! (And every day after it too! However many I'm blessed enough to receive!)

Thank You, my precious, indescribably beautiful & wonderful family & friends, and Thank You, Lord, for it all!

I hope I have made you all proud so far, and I hope to keep on making you proud!

I hope my joy and celebration today comes across as one of sincerity and love....

And I sincerely hope I can inspire all of you to celebrate each of your birthdays with as much love, joy, peace & gratitude in your heart as I have this evening in mine! So, Happy (Early) Birthday to me!!!

I'm 25 years experienced this December 23rd, and God only knows what will happen in the next 25, but I'm here now, I've made it this far and I'm willing to take on any experience that comes my way, hopefully with even more love, faith and strength than I have today!

I hope to celebrate many more birthdays, and I especially hope to celebrate those birthdays with all of you--thank you for being in my life--all of you!

Here we go, together: you, me and God......here's to the next 25 years......

In Light N' (Much) Birthday Love,
-Sarah Liz :)

P.S. And yes, even when I get older, I plan on always joyously celebrating my birthday! My enthusiasm for it is not just because of my "younger," age. I strongly dislike it when people say "oh, I don't have birthdays anymore" bologna! As I said earlier, regardless the number of candles on the cake, birthdays are always worth celebrating...too many people don't get enough of them! God Bless Us Everyone!