On Turning 30

So I'll be 30 in two months. This seems like it's supposed to be a pretty big milestone in most people's lives. I will admit that I have been thinking about it off and on since I turned 29 last May. For the most part, I'll be glad to be 30. I've felt 30 for a while now. I remember glancing at an article in a magazine about "Beauty in your 20s, 30s, and 40s." I instinctively turned to the section on the 30s when I realized I was only 28. I guess having children has aged me. :)

Another thing I'm finding interesting about my looming 30th birthday is that I am much more aware of who I am and what I like and dislike. Here are two examples.

I freely admit now that I do not like shorts. I have disliked shorts for most of my life but it's hard to swim upstream when everyone else wears shorts in the summer. Last summer I avoided it most of the time by wearing skirts, but unfortunately there are times that only shorts will do (and since I also loathe being hot I can't just wear pants in the summer). Same with jeans. It feels so weird to admit that I don't particularly like jeans since to say so is practically anti-American. But it's true. I own several pairs because sometimes it's just the most appropriate thing to wear, and they're not horrible, but I will take yoga pants any day of the week over jeans.

I also hate bell peppers. I have never felt the need to like them, but I also always just avoided the subject. Now I'm ok with the fact that I don't like them. I like plenty of other vegetables so I feel no need to force myself to enjoy bell peppers.

The strangest thing about turning 30, though, is that even though ten years ago this is certainly not how I envisioned my life to be at 30, I can't quite come up with that I did think was going to be happening. I guess if you had asked me I would have said I'd be married (hopefully!), teaching full-time, and maybe have a child. If you had told me I'd be pregnant with my fourth child on my 30th birthday I would have laughed until my gut split in half. But that's how the LORD works, and I'm glad his plans are always better than mine.

All in all I'm not at all worried about turning 30. I know it's traumatic for some people but I am really enjoying the fact that I am becoming more and more who God has made me to be. I'm glad my marriage is more mature and is growing deeper roots every day. I'm glad I have three little boys and one little gender-yet-unknown that I can cuddle on the couch while watching Thomas & Friends. And the fact that 30 is much more exciting that I'd imagined makes me look forward to 40 (though I'm glad it won't come for another ten years!).