sweet sixteen

Yes, you heard me right. I've never revealed my age to you before, but now I am. Yesterday was my birthday, and I turned sweet sixteen! (If you're wondering, I was thirteen when I started this blog in November 2009.) Does this surprise you? Do I seem older? Younger? Opinions please, and now on to the good stuff.

So, I'm sixteen, and honestly, I'm wondering where the time went. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was looking up at the sixteen-year-old "big kids", thinking they were so mature, tall, smart, and intimidating? I'm growing up, and with every year comes harder challenges and greater rewards. Christ is nearer to me than ever before, and I know I couldn't make it without Him. And, of course, having the best friends in the world (in my humble opinion) helps too. Sometimes I'm tempted to compare my life to others', whether to judge them or feel bad for myself, but really, it is not worth it. God gave me my sixteen years, and I am nothing without Him.


These are the thoughts I have been pondering lately, mostly in anticipation of my birthday, since yesterday was very full. The day began at 3:36 am, when I woke up to commemorate the exact time at which I was born. This is a little tradition of mine, to wake up at that wee hour and have a nostalgic moment thinking about the years gone by and the ones to come. After going back to bed, I woke up for real at a normal hour, ate a yummy breakfast made by my mom...





...and attended a pro-life function with my family. To be honest, I was less than excited to share my special day with another event. But seriously, I have no room to talk, except in defense of those millions of babies who cannot speak for themselves. A touching point in the event was when hundreds of people released blue and pink balloons into the sky to remember those little babies. 

Then the birthday part of the day really began. I went out for lunch with my dad, and he took me to one of my favorite places, a used bookstore. I'm not one for elaborate birthday happenings; this made me perfectly happy. Roses made an appearance...

...as did amazing birthday wishes from my friends. I went out to dinner with my family, opened gifts, and did a clever scavenger hunt arranged by my mom, in which I had to follow clues, in the form of first lines of my favorite books, to find my last gift:




I was struck by a thought that stayed throughout the day: How blessed I am to have people who love me this much. It's hard, on your birthday, to be unselfish and give God the glory. I learned that lesson in a stark fashion yesterday, when my selfishness got the better of me, but I also had some practice in being utterly thankful for God's provision in my life.


And so the circle came around. I am sixteen years old, and I am grateful for each one of the days that God granted me to live. Whether I feel dreadfully old or terribly young, I am who God made me to be, and these sixteen years have been unforgettable.


"I am sixteen going on seventeen..."