my thoughts on life at 26

Many moons ago {aka a couple months before my 25th birthday} I went to lunch with a couple dear friends. These boys bought me lunch {did I lead a charmed life? probably.} and imparted to me all the great wisdom they knew in their esteemed, wise old ages {OK they were both only 29 at the time}.

"Katie," they said to me, "25 is going to be your year."

I liked the sounds of that, and imagined to myself all the possibilities it could mean. Career move? Grad school? Fantastical trips to Europe and beyond? Publishing a book with popularity nigh unto Harry Potter? A handsome and dashing husband to sweep me away? 

Turns out both those friends got married first.

But seeing as how they were the ones pushing 30 and did nice things like buying me lunch and giving me life advice, I couldn't help but be delightfully happy for the both of them. And I thought, maybe me-being-25 was actually THEIR year and not MINE? But in all truth, I know it was mine too.

Twenty-five was my year.

It was my year to grow up.

My year to finally love my job.

To love myself.

To write my heart out.

And my guts.

And my all of me.

To go on more dates than maybe the past few years combined.

To finally figure out exactly what it is I'm looking for in love.

To feel 100%, honestly, completely happy with my single status.

To finally stop worrying about when I'll get a ring on my finger.

To stop basing any single ounce of my self worth on my relationship status.

To realize my independence and fiercely embrace it.
To feel an insatiable curiosity and thirst for learning that could keep me up all night if I let it.
To sometimes letting it.
To learn {or start to learn} how to say no.

To close doors when they needed to be closed.

To really face my political opinions and give them names and shapes.

To question longstanding views and realize they needed adjusting.

To decide what people and tasks really, truly deserve my time and attention.
To let go of old hurts.

To feel new ones and really, really feel them.

To lose myself in loving other people.

To feel the stark difference when I forget to do that.

To pray, pray, pray.

To learn more about what a relationship with God means for me, as an individual.

To admire the individuality of other people's unique ways of living, thinking and feeling.
To take risks that scared the air right out of my lungs and to go for it anyway.

To learn to let God and let go.

To feel more trust.

To have more faith.

To feel a growing, abiding sense of peace and purpose.

To ever-so-slowly, but ever-so-suddenly, feel like I finally grew up and finally grew into myself.

And I think 26 can only get better.