29 Days of Gratitude

So, my birthday is coming up… but not just any birthday. My golden birthday-- the magical moment when my age (29) will match the date I was born (April 29). For those of you who know me well, you can imagine that I’m just a little excited. :)

You see, in Amanda’s economy, there are a few things you should understand...

1. Holidays = BIG DEAL.
Any holiday is an excuse to celebrate! 

In 8th grade, I had a calendar of not only traditional holidays but national holidays as well, such as “National Popcorn Day” (Jan. 19), “National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month” (November), or “National Clam on the Half Shell Day” (which, by golly, happens to be today!).

One “normal” day, I decided to wear a leopard-print shirt I’d found in the dress-up drawer. Had my older (more fashionable) sister not been in college, I’m sure she would have stopped me, but alas, I arrived at school and immediately regretted my decision. So, as any insecure middle schooler would do, I invented “National Leopard Day.” I think it worked. :)

2. Numerically-aligned Days = Holidays!
I’ve got *Kate, Ben, and Luke Yoder to thank for this one, and that summer at Little Eden when they introduced me to “Happy Minutes”-- the time of the day when all the numbers align in perfect harmony (11:11). We gave high-fives, did a little “Happy Minute” dance party, and my life was changed forever.

Of course, “Happy Minutes” turned into “Happy Days” (such as 04-04-04, 05-05-05...), and I could tell you how I celebrated every major “Happy Day” since then. (In fact, I think it may have gotten a little out of hand because I actually blogged about many of them here: 09-09-09, 10-10-10, 11-11-11). 

*For the record, Kate later went on to deliver her first baby on 10-10-10. :)

Here I am with my family and Vicki on the streets of Patagonia, Argentina, celebrating 04-04-04 and insisting that everyone on our bus give "high-fours" at 4:04 pm... :)

So, you see, this upcoming birthday of mine is a combination of so many things I love-- a holiday that falls on a happy day. And, it will only happen once in my lifetime. I’m determined to make it count. 

In order to celebrate, I’ve decided to take this next month to reflect and, in a sense, “relive” my life-- a day for every year (beginning on the 1st and leading up to the 29th)-- thanking the specific people who greatly influenced me during that year. I would not be the person I am today were it not for all of you. So, here we go… :)