Mar 13, 2018 3 min read

I had a birthday last week. For this particular birthday I wanted nothing. It didn’t seem important to me this year, and it certainly wasn’t one of those celebratory occasions, like a Sweet 16 or a 21st birthday. I didn’t get keys to a new car, become old enough to legitimately buy a beer, or even hit the milestone where I was deemed a lower risk on my car insurance. There is no special hat or balloons that announce this age to the world.

Instead, I turned 39. Supposedly, it is my “last birthday,” as I am not supposed to want to turn 40. But I have always felt older than my age, so I’ll actually be a little relieved when my body catches up to my mind. In truth, I never really understood hiding one’s age by pretending to remain in your 20s or 30s. I’m just now becoming the person God designed me to be.

I received several gifts, including a gift card to a coffee house, a mug holder, flowers and several mugs. Come to think of it, nearly every gift I received contained something related to what I like to call steaming, brown, liquid joy. “Me” without coffee must be pretty unbearable.

It was a slow day at work, the weather being just in between the busy seasons, and I had a hard time staying awake through the long afternoon. There’s that age thing again, as I am beginning to believe that a nap in the afternoon just can’t be beat.

Remember being expected to take a nap as a child and fighting it? Do you remember fighting against sleep out of fear that the most spectacular thing of the day would occur and you would miss out on it? Sadly, we all missed the point, I believe. The reality is that the freedom from responsibility that enabled being able to sleep in the middle of the day was pretty spectacular in itself.

With age comes wisdom, I suppose.

I think I’m going to try harder in the future to live in the moment. Not to shirk my responsibilities, or fail to appreciate consequences for words and actions, but to genuinely enjoy every moment on Earth that I’m given.

I’m going to stop and smell the roses, so to speak.

I’m going to take photographs with both my camera and my mind. I’m going to hike and search for geocaches, metal detect, and scrapbook. I am going to travel and experience food and cultures that are not in my own backyard.

I’m no longer going to collect things, but instead, memories. I’m no longer going to worry what people think about my fashion choices – or missteps – and I’m no longer going to spend every waking moment worried about what task I should begin next, or whether the kitchen is perfectly spic and span.

And speaking of waking moments, I’m going to begin all of that after my nap.

Laura Zoeller can be reached at zoeller5@verizon.net.