Happy Birthday

Birthdays are a topic of debate among many. Young children will count down the months, days, and hours before finally being able to celebrate whereas (mostly) older people do whatever they can to have their birthday forgotten, ignored, and brushed under the rug. I fall into the first category. I love birthdays. I attribute much of this to the love and adoration that my mom always put into "our special day."
You see, birthdays are unique in that we are celebrating the day that we came into the world. It is an oportune time to take an ordinary day and create a celebration. Because everyone has one, there is no chance of offending someone while celebrating. Because it is only once a year, we feel completely justified being selfish for 24 hours and making it "all about me."
Some birthdays just seem to carry more weight than others. For example, 10 is a very important years because you are now in the double digits (a very critical milestone for fourth graders everywhere). Likewise, 13 (teenager), 15 (drivers permit), 16 (sweet and drivers license), 18 (adult), 20 (no longer a teenager), 21 (obvious), 25 and subsequent 10 year increments (30, 40, 50, etc). I think it is planned to have the bulk of the "important" birthdays when you are still excited about celebrating and less when you are more inclined to lie about your age.
I have reached one of those milestones: 25. I remember thinking that 25 was so old when I was younger. I had a picture in my mind of what it would be like, what I would have accomplished, where I would be...Interestingly enough, most of those things that I invisioned are fullfilled. I have graduated from the University of Florida; I am married; and I have had my first child.
As I reflect on the time that God has given me thus far, I have to admit how abundantly I have been blessed. So on this day, as I celebrate 25 years of life, I thank God for each moment that He has given me. I have taken advantage of some and reached new potential in others. I thank Him for the life I have lived and the years that are still to come and I pray that I always take a moment to enjoy another year of life, no matter how old I am.