My Dear 33

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For as long as I can remember, my birthday has been filled with lots of sunshine and warm weather. Of course, with the exception of one year, my 18th, it actually snowed. Thanks, Michigan. But other than that, it has been sunny and warm almost every May 1st. This year, not the case whatsoever. Well, I guess May 1st hasn’t happened yet this year, but I am just going off the “weather report”. It almost feels more like May should be April with all of the showers we’re going to have the next 10 days. Anywhoo. 

I say all that to say, it has stormed all day today and it is supposed to storm and rain the next several days and I am so excited. SO EXCITED. There is something about rain that I really, really love. And honestly, I could be really selfish and say all this rain is for me, I know it isn’t, but just go with me for a moment. Rain brings cleansing. It brings refreshing. It means old things washing away and new things coming to life. One season ending and a new season coming to life. Spring is also a great metaphor for this, too. The dry and dead things coming back to life in a new season, in a new way, at a new, right time... What was once nonexistent or barely breathing, now is full of life and newness. It’s full of hope and optimism for growth and what is yet to come. 


Here we go:

1.    You quit your career. YASS GIRL. 10 years in banking…  
2.    Never have I felt more at peace to watch a season end and a new one come to life. 
3.    You started your dream job. Well one of them. PTL for that! 
4.    You spent your actual birthday in your favorite place….. in the middle of the sky flying back to OKC from San Diego.
5.    You traveled to Savanna and fell in love and found yourself once again…. On a beach. Tybee Island, you are a gem. 
6.    Visited Louisiana and NOLA a few times. 
7.    Took a few road trips to Dallas. Magnolia included ;) 
8.    You registered Ellie’s with the State of Oklahoma and made it official.
9.    You were healthy: Emotionally, mentally, spiritually. 
10.  Kept up with the counseling and continued to grow. 
11.  Traveled once again to Red River and fell in love with the mountains all over again. 
12.  You fractured your ribs but you got back on that snowmobile and punched fear in the face. 
13.  You ended an unhealthy relationship and finally stood up for yourself. Way to go, sis! 
14.  You were pretty dang bold and fearless.
15.  You let God heal your heart even when you weren’t sure you wanted Him to.
16.  You waited and trusted and believed, even when it would have been easier to walk away. 
17.  You made new friends and let people in. 
18.  You pushed yourself to be the strongest Jenn you could have ever been. 
19.  You prayed more and trusted God even more than before. 
20.  You had hard conversations, but you were confident in them. You had them. You did the hard thing.
21.  You went out on a date! The first real date of your adultish life…. And it wasn’t that bad. 
22.  You were encouraged and reminded that great Godly, Christian men still exist and they’re not endangered species. Ha. But seriously ;) 
23.  You had fun. 
24.  You laughed so much more.. 
25.  You smiled more. 
26.  You visited Denver and Breckenridge and fell absolutely in love with snowcap mountains during the middle of your favorite season. 
27.  You walked in joy. Absolute sweet, unbridled joy. 
28.  You were teachable and you learned new tasks and created new projects. 
29.  You continued to push yourself and not take the easy way out. 
30.  You bought a new dress for Christmas and twirled the night away and felt like a child all over again. 
31.  You took more drives on back roads with windows down, hair blowing in the wind, and the music all the way up. 
32.  You loved even harder. 
33.  You dreamed even bigger. 

32 was one of the greatest years of my life. I can say that with a full heart. A very, very full heart. The last 3 years were some of the hardest and to me, 32 was an absolute breath of fresh air. With every ounce of joy and happiness I can muster, that’s how I felt about 32. OF COURSE, I would have loved to leave some parts behind, but I have always been one to be thankful for the journey and the experience. I don’t know how to not love and give 100% all the time on anything that I do or am a part of. So even with and through the bad, I 100% embrace 32 with all of the grace and thankfulness I can express. 


“Here is what is so beautiful about YOU: After everything you have been through, you are still blooming in the exact way you were meant to bloom.”

33, it’s time to dance in the rain. 


xoxo- Jenn Marie 


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