Another birthday is looming for me. It’s not a milestone birthday, but somehow 45 seems scary to me. It seems like I’m officially middle-age. Not sure why I’m struggling with this one to be honest. My husband died at 35, my grandparents were all well into their 80’s, I’ve had classmates die way too young, so who is to say what middle-age really is. Poor Luke Perry, my celebrity boyfriend, died this week at 52…way too young.
I’ve never been one of these people who wanted to celebrate their birthdays all month long. Most of the time I have the bad habit of looking at the past year and feeling a bit melancholy that I didn’t feel like I was making the progress I wanted. I started a new job this year that is challenging (in a good way) and I’ve been working hard on my writing side-gig this year so I can’t blame it on life being stagnant this year.
I thought about sharing 45 things about me since hopefully I’ve got some newer readers this year. Not sure I’m really interesting enough to come up with 45 things about myself that would hold a reader’s attention to the end though. As a result, I’ve split this up into 15 things about me, 15 things I’ve learned over the last 45 years, and 15 things I have on my bucket list.
15 Things About me
1. My boys are my life.
2. I was born in Indiana, and although we moved to Kentucky when I was twelve years old I still feel like a Hoosier.
3. I’ve lived in three states
4. I’ve bungee jumped twice
5. I’ve been in the same book club for 10 years now
6. I had a story featured in one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
7. I have an accounting degree but my ideal career would be as an author
8. I attended three different colleges
9. I lost my husband when I was 25, nearly 20 years ago, and he’s still the love of
my life.
10. I love HGTV and all the Hallmark channels
11. I have an ongoing list of celebrity best friends (to clarify, that’s a list of
celebrities that I know would be best friends with me if they knew me)
12. My favorite thing about my birthday is the “green” cake my mom makes me
every year. It’s very popular with my friends as well.
13. I love diet coke and sweet tea
14. Target and Ikea are my two favorite stores
15. I love New Years Resolutions, planners, and to-do lists
15 Important Things I’ve learned in my 45 years
16. Life is too short to hold grudges or dwell on the past
17. You can’t change other people, you can only change yourself and how you
react to others
18. Friends can be family too
19. It takes a village
20. Raising kids is the hardest, most rewarding job you will ever have
21. There’s a privacy curtain when you vote because it’s no one’s business who you voted for
22. Do everything you can to minimize the student loan debt you have to take on
23. Don’t be House-poor. I’d love a bigger, newer place but I live where I can comfortably afford and I make it my home
24. Life isn’t always fair but it’s up to you to make the best of what you’re given
25. You are responsible for your life…if you don’t like how things are, change them
26. You shouldn’t have important conversations or make important decisions if you’re hungry or tired
27. Even knowing how the story ends, I’d choose my husband again
28. You don’t get into debt overnight and you won’t get out of it overnight
29. Your kids will grow up and you have to trust them to make good decisions
30. You have to make time for yourself
15 Things Still on my Bucket List
31. Publish a Book
32. Earn at least a part-time income with my writing
33. Take a weekend writer’s retreat
34. Take my son to Hamilton
35. Take a cruise with my kids
36. Buy a condo with an office and laundry room
37. Learn to snowboard
38. Attend Fincon
39. Visit Las Vegas
40. Pay off all my debt
41. Pay off my kids’ student loans
42. Visit London
43. Do a Ride-along with a police officer
44. See the Northern Lights
45. Get a tattoo
There you go, probably way more then you ever cared to know about me. Any of my bucket list items match yours? Bring it on 45!!
Very cool lists. I actually saw the Northern Lights one time and it was in Arkansas! When a major solar storm hit. I was driving a deserted stretch of highway at 4 AM and there was no moon. I stopped the car and got out and stood there in awe and wonder. Apparently nobody else saw it, there was nothing on the news about it later and when I told my friends about it all I got was raised eyebrows.
That’s awesome. I thought you had to be in Canada or Alaska to see them. This might be an easier item to check off the bucket list then I originally thought then…
Holly,
I can probably help you with a police officer ride along. My son is a Sergeant at the LPMD.
Oh I may have to call you about that!!