It became very apparent around 9:00 AM this morning that the last day of my twenties was going to make me stop and think about things. I sit here writing to you from my sofa, scrunched up under a blanket and teeth chattering. Perfect timing, right? Oh, Universe. You are hilarious, my friend.

Today I leave a decade behind me. I leave fond memories of being a newlywed where we thought we had a clue about life, but turns out we were just beautifully naive. Now that I am starting to get a clue? I find myself missing those innocent days. I leave behind the birth of our four stunning littles. I think on each one of those days I aged years in worry and fear, but my heart reached new and unexplainable depths. I leave behind 11 different moves all within the same state. Apparently we haven’t quite found “home” yet. I leave behind mistakes, regrets and failures. I leave behind quite a bit of disappointment and a lot of immaturity. I leave behind some of the most amazing days of my life thus far.

I am not going to sit here and tell you about the wrinkles I have discovered or the body image issues I deal with or even the fact that my damn knees are already creaking each time I walk up the stairs. I am not one of those women who are sad to turn 30. After all, age is just a number, right?

My thirties? They are going to be quite spectacular. I can feel it.

The past decade has taught me a lot and I think the most important lessons are the simplest of ones and those will be what I bring to my thirties in the fiercest of ways. I’ve learned to not spend too much time worrying, because in the end, it is what it is. Don’t invest in what others think – their opinion of you doesn’t actually have anything to do with you. Stop apologizing for crying-out-loud! Remember to say what you mean and mean what you say. Tell the truth – about everything and to anyone. It’s refreshing and you’ll carry less baggage. Carry your mistakes with you like medals – they make you who you are. Don’t gossip. It never goes well because people have big mouths and you will still feel like crap. When raising kids, remember that the days are long, but the years are short. Don’t let them hear you talk bad about yourself – they need to see your confidence to show them how to walk through their own life. And let them be kids – even if it brings on bumps and bruises. Teach them to be daring and adventurous. Lord knows us adults could use a dose of that more often then not. And remember that life is short and what you think you have can be gone in an instant.

As I have gotten older, I find myself more and more in tune with mortality and the fact that time is everything we have. And it continually slips through our fingers. I wish I didn’t dwell on it as much as I do, but I think that sort of thing comes from losing a parent at such a young age. My twenties have also brought a fierce love for my mother. I have always loved my mother, don’t get me wrong, but when you are young you are very quick to point out someone’s faults or the notion that you can do it better. As I have gotten older, I have become extremely aware of the sacrifices and challenges being a parent and trying to live life brings. And she did it as a widow.

As I face my thirties tomorrow I am going to make sure that work is done hard, but playing is done even harder. I am going to make sure ass is kicked and names are taken in business and career. I am going to make sure that my kids know that life is about messes and making mistakes – it’s through those things that you become the refined version of yourself. I am going to grab hold of those around me and celebrate them more. And I am going to remember that it’s not about proving myself, it’s about defining myself.

So with all of that and a strong dose of cold medicine… Peace out twenties.

Be sure and leave a comment below before 9:00 AM MST tomorrow morning for a chance to win $35 to one of my favorite stores!