My, how time flies.  

My sister sent me a text this morning to wish me a happy birthday said I was now officially an old lady. I turned 32 this week, and while I’m seeing little gray hairs in my eyebrows, and I’m the oldest I’ve ever been, I hardly think 32 is ancient – yet.  

I told her thank you and said, “You know, one day we’re all going to wake up and be 40.”  

Being married to a man who is as many years older than me as I am older than my sister, 40 doesn’t seem so old anymore either.  

When I turned 30, I wasn’t one of those people who dreaded it. I was rather looking forward to that milestone, and I can honestly say my 30s have been the best years of my life so far. I have learned a lot about life and what I want out of it. I’ve learned some lessons the hard way about where I come up short; how I can be a better daughter, sister, wife and friend; and how I can be a better Christian.  

See, what’s most important to me is that when I get to the end of my life – whether I see 33 or 93 – is that the love of God can be seen through me. I know I fail often, and I’m thankful for forgiveness.  

I wonder what I will learn through the years to come and how I will reflect on my 30s. Will I look back and say “I didn’t know a thing about life when I was that young!”?  

Who knows? That’s what I say now about when I turned 23 and most certainly the decade before.  

So far, my 30s have taught me the following things, and I’m still working on a couple of them:  

1. Start the day with a positive thought, and it’ll change your entire day.  
2. Don’t sweat the petty things – and they’re all petty things.  
3. Make your bed.  
4. Call your parents.  
5. Say “I love you,” and say it often.  

I suppose life is one big lesson, and it’s a good thing we never stop learning. Thank you to those who never stop teaching me.