It’s been a week since I turned 30 years old, you want to know how it feels? I’m a mix of everything—happy, excited, grateful, in awe like I still can’t believe I’m now past my 20s, a little anxious about the future, driven to work harder and be better, blessed beyond words can say.
Turning 30, you find yourself pondering upon questions like, Am I living the life I’ve always wanted? Where have all the years gone? Have I invested in the right things? Am I happy? What’s next? True, you ask yourself these questions any given birthday anyway, but turning 30 kind of magnifies everything to a point where you end up feeling depressed (about what you didn’t have), or feeling like you’re on top of the clouds (for everything you have). Guess how I feel? :)
My birthday celebration has never been more quiet and more low profile than this. And it has never been more childlike and more adult at the same time too. Lately I’ve been having some form of identity crisis: Pressured to act like, think like, and actually be an adult, whilst spending a lot of time singing Barney songs, being surrounded with dolls and toys, and acting silly to entertain our 7-month old twins.
That’s the story of my 30th birthday celebration. The theme was slumber party, where I spent the majority of the day in my PJs, keeping my heart from bursting into tiny pieces while playing and rolling in bed with my cute little dolls:
Tell me you didn’t just rotate your computer screen sideways. :P
Mommy are you taking our pictures again?
#bestillmyheart
There’s more of these photographs where it came from, but.. you get the picture, right? That’s my 30th birthday party in a nutshell, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Later in the evening my family came to have dinner with us, and we hung out in our tiny living room, around our darling twins like it’s their birthday. (I don’t mind at all.)
The truth is, I don’t think I accomplished a lot in my first 30 years. I don’t have a lot of things—not a big house, or a car, or a fat savings account. I may have seen a few cities outside this country, but I haven’t really gone places. I could spend hours processing my life, thinking about the things I wasn’t able to do before I turned 30, places I still haven’t seen, dreams that have yet to come true.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what didn’t happen. What matters is how God turned all my plans around and gave me these instead:
And how can I not feel so blessed and happy and rich when I have them? A husband I’m still so smitten about, two little girls who drive us crazy and fill this home with so much joy, a roof above our heads, food on our table, a warm bed to sleep at night.
You realize, even more when you turn 30, that the measure of happiness and fulfillment is not based on the material and financial things you acquired in your life, sometimes not even in the number of friends you have, but in the handful of people you journey this life with.
Now that, is a milestone worth celebrating.
God be praised and glorified in this life, always.
Now that’s how you celebrate! :) This is the best “I’m 30”-ish article I’ve ever read! Makes me excited for mine. Ahhhh Dawn and Rain… sila talaga ang punto ng blog na ‘to eh… LOL Love you sis! And a very meaningful birthday indeed. <3
Love you too Meems! Thanks for being part of this small life that I live. You’re next!
Hi, Ate! :)
I’m Loj, your, uh, new churchmate whom you’ve probably met in passing once or twice because I’ve doted that much on your twins. :)) (Which I think you get a lot of because they really are dote-worthy and adorable in every sense of the word. Heehee). I just happened to stumble across your blog and I’d just like to tell you that I find it very pretty and engaging and inspiring and real. :) I am blessed by the things you write, and more so by the way you write them. :) I’ve never really had the drive to blog, but reading yours makes me want to reconsider. Haha. Anyway, happy birthday, ate, and I hope this comment doesn’t seem as creepy to you as I think it does. :)
Blessings!
– Loj :)
Hi Loj! Aww thank you. I love reading comments with lots of smileys! :) :) :)
Sorry you had to tell me pa that you left a comment before I found it myself! Ain’t creepy at all. Thank you! See you around church :)
Haha! It’s okay, ate, it was actually nice to be able to tell you in person. Lakas lang maka-fangirl. Hahaha. See you! :)
Your mom approached me this afternoon and I didn’t know her but she started telling me how her daughter daw showed her this blog and everything she said pretty much sounded like what you said too, so.. tama ba? Your Mom was in SBCC din kanina? Haha.
Haha! Yes ate, my family’s been attending the English service since October. I think my parents were friends with your mom when they were in college. :)
Ohhh. Naku, she must have been introduced to me already before, di ko lang maalala. I guess coz it was around October when I gave birth, and when I kindof *disappeared* from the main hall (haha, grabe mag iisang taon na pala kame sa overflow room). I don’t know a lot of people na! Anywayy, it’s good to meet you/get to know you this way. :)
Likewise, ate. Haha. See you at church :)
Not sure if my comment went through, posting again for good measure :)
Happy birthday. Riz!! Dawn and Rain are so adorable! I wish I can pluck them straight out of my monitor and into my arms, I just want to pinch their cheeks! ^___^
You really are so happy because it shines through. Today has been pretty sucky but hearing some good news about my favorite writer AND reading this post have improved my mood greatly ♥ All the best!
Happy birthday. Riz!! Dawn and Rain are so adorable! I wish I can pluck them straight out of my monitor and into my arms, I just want to pinch their cheeks! ^___^
You really are so happy because it shines through. Today has been pretty sucky but hearing some good news about my favorite writer AND reading this post have improved my mood greatly ♥ All the best!
Thanks Krissy. Glad to have upped your mood a bit. I love reading little notes and comments from you ;) Hope you’re having a great day today!
Happy birthday mommy Riz!! Summer was staring too long at your twins :))
Hahahah, Summer must be thinking, “WHAT are these?” lol. Playdate soon!! And get me to set up a dessert buffet for Summer’s Christening! And birthday party! Or something! :-*
Mars! Magpa-accredit ka sa mga restos na maging partner yung candy buffet biz mo for special occasions. We’re having Shakeys as venue sa baptism reception e. They are charging a large corkage fee for every additional food/decor. So even if I want to have Sweet Dreams for Summer, ang mahal naman chinacharge nila. So better if you are a partner ng restos (even jolibee!), wala kaming corkage :) Tip lang.
Grabeee may ganon ang Shakeys? If they have large corkage fees, malamang they have partnership fees too. NVM. :))
Ear-to-ear smiles looking at these pics!! Cute cute babies!!! :) belated happy birthday, Riz! Indeed having a beautiful family is the best gift. And at 30, no less! Milestone talaga :)
Thanks Ninang Jowni!! :)
very inspiring.. :)
Thank you :)
What a beautiful family. You got me teary-eyed on the last 2 paragraphs, Ate Rhiza. I LOVE YOU & YOUR FAMILY <3 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
And we love you too! Thanks, my eldest daughter. :)