A new year begins

I turn 33 today, and...

• I am pretty sure that I got about 33 new grey hairs overnight.  Seriously.  Was there some sort of switch that got flipped?  Turn 33, go grey - flip! I am to the point now that I have to make a decision: go grey gracefully or go against my cheapskate nature and cross over to the dark side of having my hair dyed, never to return again to the natural world.  Neither option is very appealing right now.  But, if I pluck many more, I will be bald before I know it.
• I am very curious as to what the future will hold.  When I think about all of the things that have happened in my life to lead me to this point, a point that I would have never envisioned years ago, it really amazes me.  All of the good stuff, all of the bad stuff, every twist and turn, the things that I had control over and the things that had control over me - it all has led me to this point.  All of those experiences have made me who I am.  And I am happy with that, and I am happy to have realized that, too.  Because it makes thinking about all of the other experiences that I have yet to have seem that much more exciting.
• I am proud to say that while I may not be in the best shape of my life, I am in better shape than I would have ever anticipated at this point.  I remember a time not that long ago when I wasn't able to run three miles without stopping.  On Saturday, I ran my second 5K. 
• I am not proud to say that if I didn't write my time down, I would forget it, as I did with my first 5K time that I thought I would always remember.  (That race was in September.  You would think that I would have been able to keep it in my head for less than a year, especially since it was my first.  But, no.  I had to look it up online, where it thankfully was safely stored.  So here, for my own future reference, are my times:  September 2009: 24.46.  May 22, 2010: 24.38.)
• I am happy to say that overall, I am happy. Genuinely happy. Not in a "my life is perfect" kind of way, because it isn't. Not in a "stress-free" kind of way, because it isn't that, either. (Obviously. Remember the grey hairs?) But in a "this moment is as good as it can possibly be, and I am going to enjoy it thoroughly" kind of way. Of course, there are moments that get by me unnoticed, and there are other moments during which I am irate, but when I stop and think about my general state, I am definitely happy.
• I am extremely thankful for all of the gifts that I have in my life - my husband, my two beautiful kids, my awesome and thoughtful and supportive friends and family, my health, the ability to laugh, to cry, and to celebrate, and the realization that I could sit here for days listing everything that I am thankful for.

This is going to be a great year, grey hair (or not) and all.