Twenty (2005), thank you for the energy to be present, relentless and naively unforgiving
Twenty-one (2006), thank you for the naivety in what I understood as love, and for finding the courage to forgive myself
Twenty-two (2007), thank you for spontaneity in old and new friendships, by which my worlds began to collide into one evolution of lifelong relationships
Twenty-three (2008), thank you for the confidence to trust my curiosities and discover what I love and hate
Twenty-four (2009), thank you for the freedom to be independent and the comfort of an endearing companion
Twenty-five (2010), thank you for my resilience and the curiosity to explore feelings beyond my understanding
Twenty-six (2011), thank you for the courage to untangle myself from dark feelings, revive myself, and challenge my honesty
Twenty-seven (2012), thank you for helping me realise the value of my lifelong relationships that have grown beyond a nostalgic silence
Twenty-eight (2013), thank you for letting me experience this world and live this life through the eyes of our greatest designer
Twenty-nine (2014), thank you for hearts that beat hard for truths that matter, and for letting me share that rhythm with those who live for something greater than themselves
Thirty (2015), thank you for the arc of my twenties. It’s a gift of relentless courage to believe in myself and those I trust, to be honest with myself and God. I’m nostalgic in ways that bring me back to childlike tendencies, but the years paint a powerful arc of self discovery, courage and revival. I hope this arc will continue to ascend and descend in the next decade of my life, because only in these fluctuations will I develop the clarity to expend my energy and passion in a purpose beyond my own understanding.
Thirty-one (2016), thank you for the endurance to continue becoming...
Thirty-two (2017), thank you for showing me what I have deep down, challenging me to lead and demonstrate the love that God has given me.
Thirty-three (2018), thank you for teaching me what it’s like to live with a healthy mind that gives me strength to have a healthy body and soul. Health in practice helped me pursue new applications of my expertise-- learning by changing contexts, adapting to environments without losing or compromising my voice, beliefs and goals. This was a ‘growing out of darkness’ year, where I brought light into the shadows of boulders I mindlessly and selfishly carried. No more carrying useless weight. Thirty-four is about discarding excess weight, to tread lightly and intentionally (bring light, live intentionally, invest with intention).
Thirty-four (2019), thank you for trusting who I am becoming. Providing me the patience to forgive myself and to be forthright in what I know, what I’ve learned and where I want to go. To know what feels right is a luxury, to act on that knowledge is a gift that’s been in the making. I’m so happy that I trusted myself-- to have gotten to know myself and the ongoing pursuit of a better me. For my 35th year, I’d like to build on this healthy choice by giving love-- being kind, enjoying what is shared, and learning to be healthy with those I love. I want to pursue a healthy and enjoyable life.
Thirty-five (2020) - in-the-making