3-OH!!!

I am turning thirty tomorrow.

There. I said it. Now you can let it out of your system. Go ahead, get all the jokes out. I’ve heard them all the last couple of days.

“Wow. You’re old.”

“You know, this means you can’t get any older. You’ll be celebrating your 30th for 30 years.”

“I guess it’s time to age ‘gracefully.’”

“It’s all downhill from here.”

Well, I suppose thirty is old. It would be considered old if we lived in the Renaissance when the life expectancy of most women was their mid-thirties. And that’s if I was rich. If I was one of the poor serfs…I would be screwed at 21.

But the fact is thirty is not old. You would be hard pressed to find any Modern Girl Friday who considers any age old. However, thirty seems to be quite an exciting time in our lives. You could say it’s the start of real life for women in my age group.

Gone are the awkward, gangly days of being a teenager. Boys were a mystery, our bodies were going haywire, and we thought we were ugly. Long gone by are the reckless decisions we made as co-eds experiencing independence for the first time. Boys were less of a mystery, but we figured out they really liked our bodies and (sometimes) our minds, and we didn’t think we were so ugly. And we are just now saying goodbye to the lean years right after college in which we started to create the careers and lives we would live as full grown adults. Men are the new mystery, but they still love us for our minds and bodies, and they thought we looked great.

Why is it this way? I think it’s because as women, we’ve finally learned enough to realize who exactly we are as people. We’re unfettered, free, and love who we are at this age. We don’t have to think if we’re doing the right thing…we’ve gone through all the little crap that makes life hard. And the hard stuff? That defines our character. That’s what makes females the tough creatures we are. We are born innately knowing that we are responsible for carrying ourselves and our loved ones on our backs through life.

And right now…it’s a sweet place to be as a woman.

I’ve learned so much in the last twenty-nine years. I have so many people to thank for making me the person that I am today. So, on the eve of my 30th birthday, I want to give a few gifts to everyone before midnight.

I want to thank my parents and grandparents. You struggled so that we could live. I admire the guts and determination of my grandparents for surviving World War II and the Japanese occupation. Your stories and experiences are always close to my heart. I appreciate the bravery of my parents in leaving everything they knew behind so that my siblings and I could have a better life here in the U.S. Parenting doesn’t come with a manual, but I want to let you know you did the best you could.

Lenny…you, loveable rascal you. Thank you for loving me, thank you for finding me. Keep making me laugh and I’ll follow you anywhere! Mahal kita.

To my siblings, cousins, and my friends: You guys are my support group. You’re some of my biggest fans, and I appreciate it. Thanks for giving me the confidence to make stupid jokes and creative decisions. I probably couldn’t survive the hard times without you.

And finally…a little something for the women that come after me. The women in my family always impressed upon me the idea that we should help each other learn. So here are a few lessons I’ve learned in my life so far:

1. You are the heart and soul of your families – No matter how crazy they drive you, they depend on you. Sometimes they don’t even realize it.
2. Give, give, give, and give some more – I don’t care if it’s time, knowledge, love, a smile, or material…just give whole heartedly.
3. Don’t be afraid to make an ass of yourself – Confidence is everything in this world.
4. Keep thirsting to learn – The day we stop learning is the day we die.
5. It’s okay to be a little selfish – If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of the ones we love.
6. Grow a sack and move on – Life is too short for petty fights and vain arguments. Swallow your pride every once in awhile.
7. Someone always has it worse off than you – When you’re wallowing in your own self pity, remember this important lesson.
8. You are your own best friend – If you can’t believe in yourself, who is going to?
9. Try everything – You never have the right to complain unless you’ve done it once for yourself.
10. Laugh…and laugh some more – The toughest situations, the darkest moments, and the awkward times can ALWAYS be made better by laughing.

Okay MGF readers…this Birthday Girl is outta this piece for the week. I’ve got some partying to do and a fresh new start to make. You all have a fabulous weekend, and if you’re so inclined, have a drink in honor of my birthday! I know I’ll be having several.