Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem or “Seize the Day” is a phrase that seems fitting for a thirtysomething. It is a time in my life that means owning up to certain realities. Accepting the notion that life is both bitter and sweet at the same time. It means the recognition that many of our notions of the future were idealizations and can't be lived in the world, but that doesn’t mean we have to compromise our ideals. For example, I don't want a lot of responsibilities, but I want to make a living. I want to enjoy each day, but I also want to feel productive. I want to sleep in, but I also want time to work out. This quandary cuts deeper than the questions of lifestyle, it is also a question of principles: I want to be honest but I don't want to be hurtful; I want to be accommodating but I want what I want when I want it; I want to be grateful but I also experience pain at times. In essence, I guess what I am getting at is that it is all about creating your own family in your own way.
During my twenties, I relied on my parents and immediate family to indicate to me the importance of home. Traditions run deep in my family. While I still appreciate my upbringing, I realized somewhere around turning 30 that I am responsible for creating my own sense of home. I get to decide my own life! I can create one that is made up of any combination of family, friends, jobs, hobbies, vacations, and goals. I also get to experience the bittersweet significance of the things I cannot control or even necessarily have a choice in: illness, gossip, losing friends, job loss, and chapters of my life closing before I am ready to say goodbye. In sum, I am experiencing life as a thirtysomething. While there is nothing innately fabulous about it, it is my life.

This blog is my way of capturing both the triumphs and tragedies of being a thirtysomething. I feel compelled to share my thoughts on my small moments of real life as well as some of my dreams, hopes, goals, and thoughts on this business of being thirtysomething. I know that I am not the first person, nor are we as thirtysomethings the first ones, to ever have children, buy houses, have careers, or have parents that are ill. The truth is, there is probably nothing noble about the endeavors of a thirtysomething, but it is my life. One of my best friends started a blog called “The New Forty” and it is her way of dealing with being 50. I love it and read it daily. It is a small way of keeping in touch with her even though I am thousands of miles away. Her blog as well as her friendship has taught me that friendship is timeless. So, if this blog reaches out to twentysomethings, fiftysomethings, or really any age in some small way, I am humbled. Mostly, I am just writing about the territory I know best...being thirtysomething. I read an anonymous quote that captured how I feel about life these days “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.” In other words, Carpe Diem...