A couple weeks ago I celebrated my 40th birthday! Unlike many, I had been looking forward to this momentous birthday. For this past year my husband and I had dreamed of fun ways to celebrate, indoor trampolines, rollerskating, laser tag, etc.. But as the big day grew closer I felt less inclined to celebrate in those ways. In fact, I started to feel pressure to do something "bigger" as I watched friends celebrate with spa weekends, trips to Vegas, or big parties. Comparison had started to steal my joy and I just couldn't decide.
Luckily, my amazing husband of 14 years knows me really well and he took over. And rather than celebrate like others, we celebrated like me. He made amazing foods, both old and new favorites, my mom worked her cleaning/decorating magic on our home, and we had a simple get together with family and a few friends. It was perfectly me.
But the perfectly me part doesn't stop there. My husband orchestrated the best surprise possible--guided by his diligent research, my family all chipped in and bought me an amazing digital SLR camera, something I have wanted for years (its a Nikon D5200 which is far nicer than I had ever dreamed).
And it's been the most amazing gift. It's awakened such passion and excitement, much like when I discovered running several years back. I just can't seem to read enough or learn enough. It's all I think about and all I talk about (luckily my husband loves, and tolerates, this about me--my tendency to love what I love with deep passion).
What I love most about the camera, and diving into photography, is how it helps me see the magic in the world. I notice the beauty that surrounds me, like the bright spots of sunlight, springtime flowers, and my daughters' smiles. It's a renewed sense of gratitude which couldn't be a more perfect way to celebrate my life, both the 40 years I've lived and the many I hopefully have ahead of me.
Luckily, my amazing husband of 14 years knows me really well and he took over. And rather than celebrate like others, we celebrated like me. He made amazing foods, both old and new favorites, my mom worked her cleaning/decorating magic on our home, and we had a simple get together with family and a few friends. It was perfectly me.
But the perfectly me part doesn't stop there. My husband orchestrated the best surprise possible--guided by his diligent research, my family all chipped in and bought me an amazing digital SLR camera, something I have wanted for years (its a Nikon D5200 which is far nicer than I had ever dreamed).
And it's been the most amazing gift. It's awakened such passion and excitement, much like when I discovered running several years back. I just can't seem to read enough or learn enough. It's all I think about and all I talk about (luckily my husband loves, and tolerates, this about me--my tendency to love what I love with deep passion).
What I love most about the camera, and diving into photography, is how it helps me see the magic in the world. I notice the beauty that surrounds me, like the bright spots of sunlight, springtime flowers, and my daughters' smiles. It's a renewed sense of gratitude which couldn't be a more perfect way to celebrate my life, both the 40 years I've lived and the many I hopefully have ahead of me.
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Donna