Tomorrow, I turn 44. Today, I am still 43 (for 45 more minutes anyway).
Last year, when I started being 43, I was recovering from my hysterectomy, I was embracing my new life in my new house and starting new gardens and finishing out a challenging school year. I had a summer to garden and prepare for a new school year, and then a new school year with all new challenges. I had my first experience with a student in foster care, and my room was overflowing with trauma and social drama, but I was making progress.
And now, 43 is laundering masks along with clothes and keeping disinfectant wipes by the door, and getting a birthday drive by from my mom and stepfather tomorrow morning before my first Google Meet with a student. It's exhaustion from figuring out how to teach remotely and from just the state of things.
I'm not mad at my birthday anymore, 44 really isn't all that different from 43 (although I can't claim "early forties" any more... it's all mid). There's no deadline, no high stakes to it. But it's real weird to turn 44 in a pandemic.
Here are some pictures of my last days as a 43 year old... from the mundane to the outright bizarre. Some things stay the same, and some things have changed pretty drastically. But there it is, another trip around the sun, another chance to celebrate the beauty of existence.
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| Some cute mini daffodils I planted in the fall that are up and sunshiny by the new golden bleeding heart...and new mulch! |
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| The first of many plant deliveries, getting them ready to plant (but now they are in the dining room since there's a freeze warning, ugh) |
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| My empty middle school, a picture taken by my principal and sent out this weekend (might have made me cry) |
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| Oh yeah, wearing the mask. Hot look of 2020. |
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| Surreal empty marquee at the movie theater |
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| Bryce passed his Candidacy Exam! Two-ish years to go! (Do we both look tired? YES) |
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| Sometimes catalogs come and you find treasures... because you know, the bench is special to us and this is called "Always Together," which is true and also SO TRUE right now. |
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| Ah, the last day of 43. Luckily I had a good hair day despite the creeping grays and fading color. The curls were cooperating! |
Want to read more #Microblog Mondays? Go here and enjoy!
Happy Birthday, Jess! I hope, amidst all the stress and craziness, that you manage to make the day special. That last photo of you is really gorgeous - the curls are to die for.
ReplyDeleteAnd Congratulations to Bryce too! I bet that is a relief for you both.
Also, and this is official, early 40s last until 45. Late 40s (or 50s in my case) do not begin until 49 or 59. That's my view, and I know I might be stretching it - but it makes me feel very comfortable to say I'm mid-50s for a couple of years yet! LOL
Aw, thank you! It was a lovely birthday, all things considered. And thanks for the Bryce congrats, he is definitely feeling the relief (me too). HAHAHA to the early-mid-late timeline! Love it!
Delete"Another trip around the sun, another chance to celebrate the beauty of existence." I love your attitude, Jess! Happy birthday! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! It was a great day!
DeleteHappy Birthday Jess!! Congratulations Bryce!! Two great things to celebrate!!! Thank you for sharing the pictures. You and Bryce look great in purple and I always love to see your bookshelves and plants. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, lady! It was a wonderful day, and great to have Bryce all done as well. Such a lightening of the load, there! Ahhh, books and plants and plants and books... :)
DeleteHappy (now late) birthday, friend! My birthday is in Oct and I'm sure I'll be celebrating too in isolation. It's strange. But you look fantastic and you and Bryce look so happy!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Just keeping the celebration alive, not late at all! :)
DeleteOh man. It's now hard to think of when birthdays WON'T be in isolation. It is super strange. Thanks for the kind words!
Happy (slightly belated) birthday!
ReplyDeleteThe mini daffodils are lovely. The new wall picture is also really wonderful.
And a big congratulations to Bryce as well!
Thank you! Not late, keeping it going! :) Loooooove the mini daffodils. They're all up now (although they were doused in snow a little while ago, ugh) and they make me ridiculously happy. And that bench picture! Ahhhhhh!
DeleteI will tell Bryce of your congrats, he's so happy to be done (with that part). :)
Happy belated birthday to you, Jess! Hope it was as beautiful as you are. Love the pix of the growing things best, and big congrats to Bryce and his hardworking self.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your mid-40s!
Awww, thank you! It was a wonderful day. And doubly wonderful because Bryce wasn't heaped under a pile of stress. :) Ah, the growing things are my favorite too.
DeleteThank you thank you!
It was so fun to stand below your balcony/deck and sing to you! May you have at least 44 more years. After all, your great-great Aunt Ida made it to 104. You might have 60 more years! 😜
ReplyDeleteHappy (super belated) birthday Jess and congrats to Bryce! My daffodils had issues this year so I appreciate the picture of yours!
ReplyDelete