The End of 43--It's My Birthday Week, Part 1

I just reread my birthday post from last year.

Yes, 42 was a hard year.

I will turn 44 in two days-- marking the end of the early forties and the beginning of the mid forties.

Sandwiched between 42 and 44 is 43, and I must say that 43 was a fantastic year.

•  I lost fifteen pounds and gained ten back.
• I returned to distance running, completing a 10K and a half marathon.
• I took part in two healthy lifestyle challenges.
• I welcomed my first grandson, Nathaniel Reid.
• Tucker returned from his mission and got engaged.
• I accepted my middle-aged self a little more and I learned to love parts of me that before seemed unlovable.

While these things were important, I will always reflect on three benchmarks from this year--three pastimes that I picked up almost unconsciously, yet all three have become integral parts of who I now am.

As funny as it sounds, my original desire to take a photography class seemed a little self-indulgent and kind of a waste of money at the time. Did I really have nine Thursday nights that I could spend away from my family, developing a skill that was frivolous?

Although my skills have a long way to progress, I see the difference in my images and I find joy in capturing the small moments of my family's life.

I will always be glad I spent $500 and nine nights to learn how to use my camera, because it changed how I see the world through a lens.