Dear Annie,
Wow, it feels like forever since I last wrote you. Big things have happened/are happening my friend, it's crazy and exciting. The most recent of which was my birthday yesterday! I can't deny that Connor and I blasted Taylor Swift's 22 with the windows down whilst driving through Denver. That's just what you do, right?
I'm not what you would call a 'birthday person'; I'm not one to want a huge party with all the fixin's, but a dinner with my loved ones is right up my alley. However, I am a rather sentimental person on my birthday. I like to think about the past year, what I did, any accomplishments or trials, and moments of personal growth. While it may seem kind of cheesy, I love the "____ things I learned in ____ years" videos/blog posts people make that correspond to whatever age they're turning. So in that sentimental/contemplative mood I've found myself in a just went for it! Warning: this letter is long long long, but it felt so good to sit and really think about each of these! It may be best read in stages ;)
22 Things I've Learned in 22 Years:
1. Part of God's nature is a deep and unquenchable desire to bless his people -- In the OT God covenants himself to Israel, promising to be their God and Israel to be His people. When his people turned toward him in faith and trust, He just absolutely poured out blessing upon blessing in the from of those covenantal promises (descendants, land, and everlasting kingship). I saw this in my own life as well: for so long I was going through the mere motions of faith, but as soon as I took one baby step away from my own plan and towards God in faith He blessed me beyond belief with forgiveness, deep joy, and the faith to trust him more.
2. Self care is so important -- When asked if there was anything surprising Connor learned about me since moving in together/being married he answered, "You rest really well." I was stoked he noticed! From painting my nails, to watching an episode of Chef's Table on Netflix, I learned how important rest and self care are to me.
3. The altitude here is no joke -- Hello 10:30 min/mile pace at a max of 4 miles. Hello humility ;)
4. Going off of that, 14er's are no joke. I hiked my first 14er on Saturday and completely underestimated how hard it was going to be. Easily the hardest hike/physical activity I've ever done in my whole life, but also such a rewarding accomplishment. Praise God for a healthy body!
5. Friendship is such a gift from God -- After leaving SB and my nearest and dearest friends I realized how much of a blessing those connections were in my life. Connor and I recently hung out with a group of friends from our new church, and I felt so encouraged and built up by their friendship. I'm excited to see how He brings new people into our lives in this next year and how old friendships continue to deepen, even with the new distance.
6. Similarly, my sister is one of my best friends -- We don't talk everyday or even every week, but she supports me so well, we love each other unconditionally, and I know if I'm ever having a bad day she can crack a joke that changes my whole attitude.
7. I need a lot more sleep than I once thought -- During the second semester of my junior year of college I was getting anywhere from 5.5-7.0 hours of sleep per night and felt lethargic, hyperemotional, and highly irritable. That semester was hard for a lot of reasons, but nowadays I push 7.5-9.0 hours of sleep per night and think to myself 'DUH! Of course you felt all those things with how little sleep you got!'
8. Tim Keller's classic saying on marriage is so true: 'When your marriage is strong, now matter how hard life's circumstances are, you're going to move out into the world in strength. When your marriage is weak, no matter how great life's circumstances are, you're going to move out into the world in weakness.' -- I have felt so confident in myself and in some hard decisions I've made in this past month, and I think I owe a huge part of that to Connor and our marriage.
9. Not having coffee every morning makes me a more enjoyable person -- I quit drinking coffee every morning the month before school ended and haven't looked back. I don't feel dependent on the caffeine (even when I get up at 4:45 for work!) and I enjoy it so much more when I have it as a once-in-a-while treat.
10. Kindness is never an inappropriate response and rarely goes unnoticed -- The patients I work with on a daily basis have a hard time showing themselves kindness (as they work through recovery from an eating disorder), but have shown me/verbalized how far a word of kindness really goes when it comes from someone else.
11. My adulting life requires budgeting -- I'm not a huge shopper by nature, but when it comes to new ski gear or those tasty snacks at Whole Foods I definitely need personal restraint in the form of a budget. Connor and I use the You Need a Budget App (YNAB), and it has already proven invaluable to our married life.
12. Speaking of tasty food, cooking for two is hard (but very rewarding) -- I can be a total monotonous eater; I used to make one jumbo pot of soup for a whole week's dinners and one gigantic salad for a whole week's lunches without batting an eye. Connor likes a little more variety (understandably), so it's been tricky but fun to keep things new/less repetitive and challenge myself to try new recipes and methods of cooking.
13. Ethical consumerism is not an easy choice but it's really important to me -- From ethical meats for Connor to ethical clothing from REI, there are so many categories of consumerism that require research and thought before making a purchase (hello Lighten Project!). It's not always easy to spend the extra $$$ but I like being able to 'vote with my dollar' so to speak and support those brands and the ethical consumerism movement as a whole.
14. Cycling is so fun -- I've talked about intuitive movement in another blog post, and cycling is at the top of that list for me right now. CO has some amazing bike paths and I might even be biking to work here in the next few weeks!
15. Weddings are only as stressful as you make them -- In planning our wedding, Connor and I and my whole family adopted a very go-with-the-flow attitude when issues arose and only used pinterest for specific ideas (ie: searching for 'seating chart ideas' instead of 'wedding inspiration' in general). I honestly only felt stressed twice for maybe one day at a time. Not too shabby if you ask me!
16. Sauternes dessert wine is one of the tastiest drinks on the planet -- Connor and I had it for the first time on our honeymoon and are now OBSESSED. If you ever get the chance to try it/see it on a menu, give yourself that 2 oz. gift. :)
17. Reading the Word frequently and intentionally really does ingrain God's truth in your heart -- I know this intellectually, but this year I feel like God reminded me of this truth once again. When I regularly read God's word in scripture I feel like I can truly agree with the psalmist when he says, "I delight to do your will, O God; your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:8)
18. I am a total mountain person -- I loved living near the beach in SB, but nothing beats seeing the rockies on my way home from work.
19. Saying 'No' or 'No thank you' is not necessarily letting someone down -- I'm a people pleaser and often fall into the trap of thinking I'm the missing piece in everyone's puzzle. In reality however, that opportunity I feel pressured to say 'yes' to might actually be the perfect opportunity for someone else's gift to shine in way that blesses them and glorifies God.
20. Getting ice cream on a Saturday night is my happy place -- From McConnell's in SB to Little Man's in CO, I gotta have my go-to spot for my ice cream fix. PS: Little Man's ice cream gives puts free rainbow sprinkles on your ice cream on your birthday woo!
21. It's good and necessary to stick up for yourself sometimes -- In the past few months I've had to negotiate my work schedule and salary, be honest with my boss's boss about a pretty big miscommunication, and talk to HR about that miscommunication. Not easy, not fun, but necessary and good for my work-life balance and self-confidence.
22. I am SO blessed -- I am married to the man of my dreams, we both have full time jobs, I have a healthy body, we get to live in a place like Denver, we have supportive and loving parents and siblings, etc. etc. etc. I was reminded of these things throughout this year and NEVER want to take them for granted.
Phew! Easily the longest letter I've ever written. I know we still have a few months until your birthday, Annie, but I would LOVE to read about 22 things you've learned when that time comes!
Any from my list you feel like you've been learning/have learned recently as well?
Love you lots,
Rachel
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