another year older...

today is my birthday! 

i'm officially 33, and beyond thankful to be celebrating. the past year has been full of many ups and downs; i've laughed, cried, and laughed some more; i've made new friends and seen friendships drift away; my kids are growing {way too fast!!} before my very eyes. i'm loved and in love with a fabulous man...

life isn't perfect, but, relatively speaking, i certainly have no reason to complain.

that said {thanks for letting me babble...}, i thought i'd share this poem i found; it's a popular graduation piece, but seems fitting for this moment in time and for sharing today...

dream big.

if there were ever a time to dare,

to make a difference,

to embark on something worth doing, it is now.

not for any grand cause, necessarily --

but for something that tugs at your heart,

something that's your aspiration,

something that's your dream.

you owe it to yourself to make your days here count.

have fun.

dig deep.

stretch.

dream big.

know, though, that things worth doing seldom come easily.

there will be good days.

and there will be bad days.

there will be times when you want to turn around,

pack it up, and call it quits.

those times tell you that you are pushing yourself,

that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

persist.

because with an idea, determination, and the right tools,

you can do great things.

let your instincts,

your intellect,

and your heart guide you.

trust.

believe in the incredible power of the human mind.

of doing something that makes a difference;
of working hard,

of laughing and hoping,

of lazy afternoons,

of lasting friends,

of all the things that will cross your path this year.

the start of something new brings the hope of something great.

anything is possible.

there is only one you.

and you will pass this way only once.

do it right.

~author unknown

enjoy your final days of 2012 ~ here's to an even better 2013! :)