I went to a charity function downtown last night. I have to admit that I was a little nervous, since last year the crowd was distinctly younger than yours truly. (I was only 35 last year, but being post-baby made me feel like a decade was an eternity.) I decided to forgo the shorter, admittedly more fun sundress, for a longer, more classic style. I couldn't face being around 25 year olds in short dresses all the while being the 36 year old in a short dress. However, I had a pleasant surprise. The younger crowd were not all that. (This blog is not completely superficial.) I mean, there were some short dresses. Some tight dresses. And some short all-in-one shorts outfits. (Very Carrie Bradshaw, but definitely not Sarah Jessica Parker in them.) We had gone with some very dear friends of ours. Of these friends, a lot of them we just don't see enough, and those we do see, we could always see more of, in my opinion. I just kept thinking how the women that I were with are all, in their own way completely wonderful, all over 30, and fabulous.
The other thought that struck me as I watched the chippies gyrating, desperately trying to impress the boys they were with, and barely being able to bend over without the whole city of Chicago seeing their knickers (maybe they don't wear any these days?), I thought how happy I am not to be 25 anymore. There are so many reasons why. But in particular because recently, I have felt like my over -thinking has taken on a whole new level....to the point where I feel a little crazy sometimes. I have felt like I don't have a minute to myself (this is true) and while I love my boys, the warnings and raised eyebrows I got when people found out I had three of the little buggers have now become reality. But still, after last night, I wouldn't trade it for the world. While my life is a little more chaotic, messy, and downright insane at times, it is precious. All the goofy things that I worry about, that those young women probably have no clue about, are not glamorous or trendy, they are in fact cliched. But the source of those worries are irreplaceable. I may not be 25 anymore but I have three amazing boys who make me laugh and smile at least ten times a day. They help bring a richness to my life that wasn't there before. (Don't get me wrong, I also look forward to the day when they are all off to college and I could go and get cocktails with my husband....alone!)