Three Things Thursday: Birthday edition

Today, I am 33.

In this photo, I am 1. And almost as cute as I am now.

It's a birthday. A day like any other, really, except I'm giving myself permission not to track my 1,000-calorie lunch at Olive Garden. {Soup + salad + breadsticks = OY!}Oh, and I ended my run on an annoyingly odd number - 4.17 miles - to mark the day of my birth because, let's be real, I'm not running 33 miles today.

So what am I doing? I am reflecting on the past year and expressing gratitude for what the age of 32 brought me.

1. Resilience. Life doesn't always turn out the way we want but we need to learn to accept it, learn from it and move on. They were several things that came up this past year that caused me great pain (I'm thinking the Bodypump debacle) but I've learned that I need not feel sorry for myself. There is strength and power in heart break that can be turned for the better. I can be better.

2. Friendship. I have never been the girl with a lot of friends. Maybe I'm not super cool or, maybe, I've never put myself out there for fear of being rejected. Whatever. This year, though, I went outside my comfort zone and made some really great friends. Some of them have been people I've connected with through this blog and are now real-life pals, and others are through the running group. Also, I feel like I've opened up and became more vulnerable with long-time friends, fostering deeper relationships. It's those connections that have enabled me to be more resilient and fiery in the face of disappointment. I am forever grateful for the people who have come and stayed in my life - they are the best gift.

3. Love. Mark and I have always been a solid couple - a cute, picture-perfect couple, according to many people's comments - but you don't become solid without mortaring together the cracks. This past year, we had some cracks but we've learned to come together to create a stronger bond. It's safe to say I not only love him but I like him.

And not just because he gave me this goober, either.

Please note: I made Miles wear that hat all morning because it was my birthday and I wanted him to. I considered it fair since ... well ... who cares if it was fair.

As for 33, I have no big dreams or hopes. There's no bucket list of 33 to cross off. I just want to continue to learn, live and love.

And run. Of course.