ATTTENTION!!!!! 31 IS NOTTTT THE NEW 51...

So it came, my 31st birthday. And while I woke up feeling this pain of "ARGHHHHHH AM I REALLY THIS OLD!!!" I forced myself to get out of bed and face the world. As I stood in the bathroom brushing my teeth, I began analyzing everything I could see. DO I HAVE WRINKLES?!!?! OR WHITE HAIRS??!?! ARE MY NON-EXISTENT BOOBS SAGGING ALREADY?!!?? DO MY ARMS JIGGLE WHEN I WAVE???? The faces and stances I took and analyzed while I brushed my teeth were in the millions, but the more melodramatic things I did, the more I actually couldn't help but start giggling uncontrollably. OMG, WAS I REALLY DOING THIS? WAS I REALLY THINKING THAT 31 WAS THE NEW 51? It was insane, but when I finally caught my breath after giggling so much, I realized that 31 was / is pretty amazing.

I mean at 1, I could barely talk and was pretty much a blob that moved from adult to adult being cooed at. At 11 I was chubby, nerdy and awkward beyond belief. At 21, i was starting to get cute, but was so lost and confused with who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go. And now at 31, I can talk more than I ever could, I have lost that final 15 and can wear things that my 11 year old self dreamed of, and best of all I have been found - I know who I am, where I want to go and what I want to be. Amazing, simply amazing. 31 is a number that was meant to make feel grateful beyond belief.

And so in random me style as usual, I set out on a little path to spread the love I was feeling inside. It all started with a birthday tradition I started years ago that I had taken a hiatus from,  I hosted a birthday brunch, where i cooked a full spread for my closest and most favoritest besties. Candied bacon, scrambled eggs, gluten free muffins (that most spit out, lol), fruits, mimosa's, cupcakes, and candies filled my apartment as people arrived. And it was once everyone was fed, that i took out this mini carrying case and began explaining what and how I was feeling and what mini activity I wanted everyone to partake in.

My mission -To spread happiness / joy / smiles / love / etc
My method - Writing notes / cards / letters / etc full of positivity and spreading them around the city
My staff - WELL DUH!!! EVERYONE THAT CAME TO BRUNCH!

So I opened my carrying case that exploded with pens, stickers, cards, paper and envelopes and everyone got writing. And it was amazing. Not one person looked at me like I had gone absolutely mental. Instead people begged to write more as they spread around my apartment looking for quite spaces to write. IT WAS SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL.

And once we were done, the fun began. With jackets, hats, boots all on and with letters in hand we left my apartment in search of little pockets and places within the city we could leave our notes and well wishes. From grocery carts, to people's bags, to park benches, to flower pots and news stands, all the letters were released and all the joy was spread :)

And soo if any of you are lucky enough to come across one of these notes, I ask you to pay it forward. Take 5 minutes to write a random note to someone else, and leave it to be found. I know that it could sound absolutely mental. But the truth is until you try it, you really have no idea how addicting it is to spread all that love.

At 31 I have learnt that life is a circle (insert cheesey lion king song here..lol), and that love is what keeps it going round and round and round. So what do you have to lose by spreading some of it? Because we all know that in the end it all comes back to us :)

And with that I leave you all with one of my most favorite passages.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Happy Easter Y'all!

Up next - The Running Shoe Diaries goes INTERNATIONAL!!!!!!