I absolutely love that my birthday is in October. Most years, I love rounding up friends to go to a corn maze, and end festivities with a bonfire (or some other fun after-party). I decided that my mid-30’s is still not too old for corn mazes.
For the after-party bonfire, I invited two older couples who go to my new church, but I knew them from the past 2 churches I was a part of. As we made s’mores and hot dogs, a guy from one of the couples gave me 3 reflection questions.
What was a highlight from this past year of your life? There have been so many. The beach day with my best friend, kayaking, hiking, my Texas family visiting. But I think the most impactful one was the class I took through Gateway, which marked the start of so much overall healing–including physically, and brought quality relationships to my life.
What was your most memorable birthday? (Or one of them?) Again, so many. When I turned 10, my mom, sister, and I were in the Philippines with our extended family. They threw a huge family feast for me, including a roast pig. But on the actual day, a typhoon struck. So the party included us wading in ankle to knee-high water, which made it kind of fun.
The corn maze/fall party tradition started when I turned 21. A bunch of my girl friends and I got together to make a fall feast, including pies. Then our guy friends joined us for dinner and the corn maze afterwards.
For 29, I was in the English countryside with my mom, spending the weekend at a castle. I had always wanted to experience a foggy morning on the English countryside (because of the moody atmospheric look in movies), and I got exactly that. It was cool, cloudy, and misty in the morning, and we got a nice dinner that night with a clear view of the lit-up castle.
What are you hoping for / looking forward to in the coming year? There are things potentially in the works that I don’t want to talk about just yet. 😉 But a few hopes include: traveling to the Philippines, a possible artist residency in Costa Rica, getting an illustration agent, self-publishing a few projects currently in process, getting involved in kids’ ministry at my new church, and having another niece/nephew in my life.
2024 has had a strangely wonderful, mysterious feeling to it, similar to the way I feel on Christmas Eve, which happens to be my favorite day of the Christmas season. Yes, of course, Christmas is the day we’re actually waiting for, especially as kids. But I love the anticipatory tension in the air on Christmas Eve. The festivities, candlelight service, re-connecting with friends, twinkle lights, food-making, the dreaming of what the next day will bring. Even though I don’t exactly know what’s ahead, I feel excited that there are amazing things in store.
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