[Self portrait on the Tea Cups]

Today I am 30 years old. I was telling my sister yesterday how I have been thinking of her 30th birthday. We were in Paris together - I was a few months shy of 21. 30 seemed so far away and I thought it would look so different then it does for me. Katie, my sister, was a Mom of 3 at the time and living with her recently MBA husband in Stockholm Sweden. That's what I thought 30 would look like, then, but this is now so let's take a look at what 30 looks like for me.

At 30 I Have:

1.Been Enamored, Infatuated, and then finally Devotedly in Love

2.Realized a passion when young, pursued it to a college degree, now business

3.Devoted to a gospel of good news through reflection, pondering & faith

4.Had babies fall asleep in my arms = magic

5.Come to use the name of Hadfield as a bragging right

6.Seen beauty in the world through travel - a badge of honor

7.Been betrayed and heartbroken - and survived

8.Been broke, felt rich, then broke again

9.Sat at a table at a cafe in a strange city alone

10.Said good byes to dearly departed

11.Realized talents I have, and talent I would like to have

12.Decided my favorite color is gray

13.Come to appreciate more the sacrifices of my parents

14.Become a farmer's market groupie - if there were such a thing

15.Accepted that I don't like to make decisions

16.Realized creative thoughts come out of the blue - trick is to catch them

17.Lived alone in complete independence - another badge of honor

18.Been fired, hired and have retired from several vocations

19.Had stitches 3 times

20.Experienced a deep reverence and peace in nature

21.Navigated myself on trains, planes and automobiles

22.Done hard things - and realize I'm all the better for it

23.Come to know that my best friends are my sisters - I'm SO lucky

24.Found inspiration and guidance in the words of prophets

25.Come to see art and creativity is all around us

26.Still not let go of my desire to "have it all together, all the time"

27.Went to a college dance dressed as a super hero 1

28.Made several attempts to "re-invent myself", working on just being myself

29.Come to see cleverness and tenacity as talents rather then traits

30.Grown in gratitude for the oh so MANY blessings bestowed upon me

I am truly loved.

Footnotes

1.The dance was not during Halloween, and no one else was dressed up - my two good friends dressed up with me - but chickened out of going into the dance. I was a lone ranger.