When I was a kid, my mom would frequently tell me to “save that for a special occasion,” whether it be a dress, or a piece of jewelry or something of the like.  I have traditionally been a very black and white kind of person (I’m starting to try to see the world in shades of gray, but must admit I still err on the sides of charcoal and cream), so I took her teachings to heart.  I would outgrow dresses that you could tell were not new only because the tags weren’t on them anymore, but had only been worn a handful of times.  Over the years, I was given a few nicer pieces of jewelry that stayed in the box, in the drawer, for “when you’re older.”

I do see the merit of teaching your children delayed gratification and understanding the value of things.  I also agree that there are certain occasions that call for items or attire that you wouldn’t use in everyday life.  For instance, I would not go to work in one of the formal dresses I have for my husband’s annual military banquets.

On the flip side of that, I’m starting to realize that life itself is a special occasion – each day is a treasure that you only get to live once.  So why not feel pretty on a Tuesday, just because it’s Tuesday instead of waiting for Saturday night date night?  Why not wear some of your more favorite outfits on a regular basis so that by the time they either don’t fit or are out of style, you feel like you’ve gotten your use out of them and they have made you look and feel good and haven’t just made your closet look good?

Maybe I’m a little late in coming to this realization.  Until Sept of last year, I went to work in scrubs for the past decade of my life.  And let me tell you, it is hard to pair nicer jewelry or really feel like a girl in scrubs.  They are great for getting in and out of the car and on and off the floor (seemingly) 100 times a day, but not for feeling pretty or feminine.  Since I’ve transitioned into the office, I get to wear “girl clothes,” which is an entirely new experience.  My mom bought me a new jewelry box for Christmas last year that is big enough to hold all my pieces all in one place (instead of 2 or 3 in this drawer and another 2 or 3 in another drawer).  Now that I can see everything at one time, I find that I have to fight the habit of wearing the same 3 pieces every day.  It feels a little funny to wear what I consider a statement necklace (which most of you ladies would probably consider everyday wear) on a random Monday or Thursday, when previously I might have only pulled it out a time or two a year on a stray Saturday night.  I’m finding that it’s so much more fun to treat everyday life as special and it gives me the opportunity to remember special people or places that I associate with certain pieces on a regular basis.

So, wear your diamonds or your favorite red shirt or your cute little strappy shoes to run errands or to work, or (dare I say it?) around the house.  I think it is so easy to measure your life only by the mountaintop moments (birthdays, graduations, your wedding, the birth of your children), when in fact, so much of your life and your memories are walked out in the valleys of everyday.

Here’s to making each day a special occasion in some small way!

Where else to start, but at the beginning?  I am newly 40 (as of a couple weeks ago) and have done a lot of thinking the past few months leading up to my birthday.  Until recently, I never really understood why people would have a mid-life crisis.  And while I don’t have a need to go out and buy a new sports car or the like, I have had the thought that the first half of the most usable part of my life is now behind me, so what do I want to do with the second half that remains?  I came to the realization that God works in 40 year increments.  The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years until they were finally ready to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  The 40 years were necessary for some old ideas and habits to die off or be replaced so the then current generation could fully realize and live in the promise that God had planned for them.

My husband of 12 years (who threw me the most amazing birthday party, by the way – Babe, you’re the best!) and I have not been able to have children.  I have found myself at many points in the last 8-10 years pausing at certain moments to think about the life lesson encapsulated in whatever I am going through at that time and how I would share that with a child if we had one.  I’m sure I’ll get into that story more later, but in the months leading up to this birthday (and let me tell you, when I went to the doctor for an annual physical about a week after my birthday and saw my name and “40” written in black and white on my check-in page, I just about fell out of my chair) I thought I needed some way to pass on the lessons life has taught me so far.  And hence the blog you are now reading.

So, here is the first lesson – perfectionism is a waste of time and energy.  I am your typical first born, perfectionist, type A kind of girl.  I like things in order and have a tendency to think I should be good at anything I try right out of the gate, even if I have never attempted whatever the task is before (which looks absolutely ridiculous now that I write that out.  I think this blog will end up being as much or more for me than it is for you).  I have been trying to find the best way to start this blog; to find just the right topic with the right number of words and paragraphs, and and and….  And then I stepped back and decided just to start and whoever is supposed to read this will read this.

Welcome to the journey.  I’m not totally sure yet where it will take us, but come along for the ride and we’ll find out together.  My prayer is that something you read will resonate and be useful in your own life.  God’s blessings on you, dear reader.