All around me, are women who I admire, who are older than me and are therefore living proof that age is nothing but a number, and that there’s hope after birthdays. I am grateful to…
…my court reporter, who shows me that health, athleticism, and being in great physical shape is achievable in one’s 40s;
…my mother, who shows me that age can mellow someone out, make a person more open-minded and able to enjoy life (man, talk about high-strung in her 30s, phew! haha);
…Jordan, who shows me that someone in her late 30s *ahem* can be fun, beautiful, and young.

Speaking of Jordan, I happened on a birthday card she sent me last year the other day. It’s one of those overly-verbose inspirational cards, and it hit the spot this year. “Whenever we become discouraged, let us close our eyes and remember a time when we were not afraid to dream… When we were small, we were all great artists, graceful dancers, storytellers. We composed songs, created paintings, and imagined great adventures. We didn’t think about it too much — we just made things up as we went along, improvising whenever we got stuck… And I want to remind you that even though you’re a “grown-up” now, you are still a creator at heart, an improvisor, an inventor who can make beautiful things out of whatever life hands you. Whatever you dream, whatever you hope to achieve in your life, all you have to do is remember to trust your heart… and trust that the answers have been a part of you all along.”

And speaking of birthday cards, I’m also grateful for two more out of many…
…one from Mr. W’s mom and dad, which had a $20 bill in it, because it made me feel like a kid; and
…Flat Coke & Flies’ card, which she signed off with “Love, [Flat Coke] and Elvis, apparently.” Huh? And then I saw that the inside spine of the card had a different handwriting in one line all up the fold, and it read, “Bet you’ve never had your cracked signed before. -Elvis”. Because that made me laugh (thanks, Bat), and gave me material to steal for when I sign other people’s joint birthday cards.