wish boxes, new beginnings, and a full heart.

A few weeks ago, Jamie wrote a post about the wish box that she made. Shortly after, Fiona made one too. The idea has been haunting me ever since and so, for my birthday yesterday, I promised to give myself unadulterated time to work on a wish box of my own.

I started my project the night before with a trip to the paper store where I stocked up on enough paper for a few other projects as well (including a new "33 journal"...which I will post photos of once I make it). Oh, delicious PAPER!! I am in love with Paper Gami. I tell you: in LOVE!

I am now 33 years old and, for some reason, this seems like a good, solid number to me. 33 is a balanced number. The edges of a 3 are round and open to possibility. 33 is more alive and spontaneous than 32 (at least, for me). 32 is a nice number. It was a year of healing. 32 included some pretty profound and sometimes painful internal shifting. But 33 has elbows to protect itself. 33 has an element of rebellion built into it. 33 is not too young and not too old. 33 is confident and willing to take chances. 33 has more fun.

Yes, so for my birthday this year I indulged myself heavily in a day of self-care (much to my husband's dismay). 32 was wonderful in many ways, but it sucked in just as many. Let me just say: I'm happy to move on. 32 was a major transition between my old life and the one I am living now. 33, I believe, is going to be the year that I make things happen. And you know what? I am oddly excited about this year. I can't really explain it, but I feel like some really wonderful things are going to start to happen for me.

I felt most alive when I was in my early twenties. I lived my life to the farthest reaches and back again. And, for some reason, I feel like my mid-thirties are going to be a whole new era of aliveness and unexpected adventures.

While working on my wish box I was thinking about what it is that I want it to represent and attract. There were several words that kept repeating through my head.

ROOTED. ABUNDANCE. CALM.

I spent a long time yesterday writing in my journal about where I've been and where I want to go. I'm beginning to see how even the painful bits of the past few years have led me to the precipice of where I am right now. I think the painful parts have, in their own way, made me a better person. It's taught me who I am. And at 33 I feel more solid within myself than I ever have in my entire life. 33 is strong. It's independent, but it's also open-hearted. 33 is a good year to be exactly the type of woman that I want to be.

And thank you for all of your awesome birthday wishes. You, my friends, make my heart feel FULL!