Today I turned twenty-six, despite my foul mood and its complementary ingrate perspective on life. In the past few weeks I have gone from acknowledging the fact that life can be really hard sometimes to wallowing in self pity, hopelessness and depression. Very mature of me. Very proactive.

As many of my long time readers know, I function by keeping perspective. I thrive by keeping my sense of humor alongside that perspective. Now, in total honesty, the past year has been an unmitigated disaster. One thing after another has mowed me down, and any normal person would be experiencing similar feelings. So it is ok that sometimes I think things are horrid and that I hate life on occasion. It is ok that I get overwhelmed and exhausted.

It is totally not ok that I lose my sense of gratitude. People, I have A LOT to be grateful for. I can very honestly tell you that where much is required, much is given. I have faced many hard things in this past year, but I have never faced them alone, and much of the time I haven’t been helped so much as I have been completely cared for when I lacked the ability to do so on my own.

On top of the help, I have learned, and isn’t that the whole point? To be gaining experience, perspective and seeing growth, it is why we are here. So life has been hard, even brutal at times. I have not come through this without being richly compensated for my trials and for that I ought to be both humbled and very grateful. And I am.

It is amazing how quick we are to forget. It is why generation after generation we make the same old mistakes in the newest ways. It is why it is so necessary for us to constantly revisit and remind ourselves of crucial truths that guide and sustain us. We must remember so that we can experience gratitude, so that we can experience humility, so that we can continue to be teachable and make the most of this mortal experience.

Today, after a lot of wallowing, I read a sermon entitled Have We Not Reason To Rejoice. It was the exact dose of perspective that I needed. I am always amazed by what God puts in your lap at the exact moment you need it. It is proof positive that He knows His children.

So I lightened up. I chose to make the best of the rest of the day, and everything changed from that point on.

Chris came home very late from doing a funeral out of town, but he came home with my first ever ice cream cake, a princess tiara, party favors & Ratatouille. Our little family acted like total fools, playing and being completely silly, and it was the best time I have had in weeks. I am grateful to have a husband who ignores me when I tell him to ignore my birthday, and who does something so unexpected and ridiculous that it can’t help but be exactly what I need. I’m grateful to have a son who likes to play with me and a daughter who curls up in my arms to watch a movie and reaches up to give me nose kisses.

When I blew out my candles I made my wish, and instead of wishing for material wealth or cheap accolades I wished for perspective. May this year be a year in which I keep myself in focus, and may things improve because of that.