14,600 Days

It’s here. THE birthday. On Wednesday I will be 14,600 days old. That’s a lot of days. And I’ve been thinking about them and what they’ve given me.

There was the day I was born. Don’t remember much about that one, but I do know that after two boys my parents wanted a girl. Ta Da! I was happy to oblige.

Days as a little girl in Alexandria, riding my tricycle around the block with my brother over and over again, swinging on the rope swing in our back yard. My dad would push me so high.

The day I went to kindergarten with a new hair cut, and hid in the coat room because I was scared of what the other kids might say. My teacher came and was very nice, and I slowly came out, and everything was fine.

The day I got a tetanus shot, and it hurt so bad that my mom picked me up from school. She had me lay down on the couch with a pillow under my arm, and I watched Sesame Street. A pillow, just like royalty.

The day my family was sealed together in the Idaho Falls temple. I still remember seeing my mom in the mirrors in the sealing room, and she was smiling at me.

The day I met my new sister, one of the best things that ever happened to me.

The day we moved out on to the farm.

Days riding my bike down our country road.

Days working in the garden.

Days mowing our huge lawn (it took 4 hours. I’m not kidding).

Days with my cousins at Eagle Lake.

Days of breathing in the fresh evening air. It smelled so good, I'd suck it in until my lungs couldn't hold any more.

Ending days with my dad reading me a bedtime story.

The day my baby brother was born. He looked just the way I had imagined he would.

The day on the school playground when I first talked to Trina, and she was my best friend till the day we graduated 12 years later.

The day I learned how to work my new locker and figured out where classes were and started junior high.

Days with band and choir concerts, speech team competitions, school plays, and ballet recitals.

Days feeling lonely.

Days feeling insecure.

Days filled with all of that teenager know-it-all-ness.

Days when I fought with my mom, and then felt so sorry about fighting with my mom.

The days she made me lasagna and chocolate cake for my birthday.

The days she taught me how to make those things myself.

Days idolizing my older brothers.

The days they moved away from home.

The day I moved away from home, all the way to Idaho and Ricks College.

Days of being miserably homesick.

Days of loving being on my own.

The day of my first kiss, standing outside the door of my apartment.

My first formal dance.

My first breakup.

And crying.

Days of classes and homework and basketball games and dances.

Days with 80s hair.

The day I left school and moved to Salt Lake City.

Days learning to work fulltime, support myself, and pay the bills.

Days playing with a group from the singles' ward, so much fun.

Days climbing through the mountains and driving out to the lake.

Wedding days and getting new in-laws! I'm glad they're all good ones.

The day I decided to go on a mission, went home to Minnesota, sent in my papers, and got my call.

My first day at the MTC, probably the most emotional day of my life.

The day I traveled with the other missionaries to Santa Rosa, California. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on a bus. I was in awe.

Days of tracting, teaching, and seeing baptisms. Days of being so exhausted and so happy. Days of gaining a strength and confidence I hadn’t known before.

The day I came home, and wondered what was next.

Days of working and making some of my best friends.

Days with nieces and nephews.

Days on the road between here and Minnesota.

Days looking for wild animals in Yellowstone.

A day walking through Paris.

Four days in London - a dream come true.

Days of wondering what my life was all about, too many days of that.

Days when I learned to get over it and just live.

Days of letting go of some dreams, discovering others, and holding on to the ones I still believe in.

Days of slowly realizing that 40 is not such a big deal.

Days of looking at my life and seeing that it’s really very good. All of the ups and downs, the terrible struggles, the failures, the triumphs, the lessons learned, all of the many wonderful people I’ve known, it all adds up to 14,600 days of living.

Thank you for being a part of it!
You are loved.