Reflection

I have a really great life. Despite all the crappy things I've done, the people I have hurt, those who hurt me--I am beyond blessed with what I have and who I share it with. My Nashville pastor once said that the best thing you can do with this life is to love. In about a month I will turn 30 and instead of having some big party to celebrate my life so far, I wanted to pay it forward. There have been people who helped me when I needed it, why wouldn't I want to do the same?

I started out doing this Thirty by 30 with the intention of letting people know what volunteer opportunities were out there or great ways to donate money to charities or causes they support. Who am I to show people that? I'm no Mother Theresa, that's for sure. The biggest lesson I learned through this experience was that there are so many amazing people in this world that want the world to be a better place and have really awesome ideas in how to help. As much as I patted myself on the back when I came up with this idea, I have been continuously humbled by people who do this stuff for zero appreciation or recognition. There were quite a few things that I was a part of that I didn't feel right about sharing that experience on here and counting it as one of my Thirty because there are some things that aren't my story to share. As I look back on my "Thirty" I think about the smiles, laughs, and even the ka-Ching of money leaving my bank account and I can't help but feel blessed. You may have been annoyed by these posts or my bugging you to donate time or money to something, but once you see the bigger picture, it was worth it. I set out to see how I could help change lives and in turn I changed my own.

I'm going to revisit each blog post up until my birthday and I'm asking for a birthday present from each of you. Yes, I'm that kind of person. ;) I want you to find something you support or someone in need and find a way to help out. I would LOVE to hear your stories! If you know of something that you think I would enjoy donating my time to, please share! I'm always looking for ways to get involved.

There is a quote that says, "Be the kind of person you want to meet." I remind myself of this daily. I also think about the kind of person I want Elie to be. We are role models to the next generation whether we want to be or not. It's not always easy, but it is always worth it.