Happy Birthday to Me

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn. Very unhumble, right? LOL

When I was a child, I often felt older, like I knew everything I needed to know. That wonderful self-assuredness carried me through high school. Then I got married and entered a new phase of my life as a wife. I still felt like a teen though. Last year I felt the first rumblings of some new thing. The suspicion that I was leaving the scene of young womanhood and entering into some new and vast territory.

Today I am twenty-six. Still a wife and a mother. No longer a teenager or a young woman. Not yet a middle-aged woman.

I have regrets. Looking back, I hope to not repeat the hurts of my youth, but have to wonder if mistakes are inevitable. Either way, I'm curious at to what I'll encounter in this new place of my life.

Today I am a woman, and I'm not quite sure what that means, only that it is different.

How do you define woman?

Comments

Angie Ledbetter said…
Happy and joyous birthday, young 'un! :)
Kristen Painter said…
26? Holy cow, you're a baby.

Have a great birthday!
Rita Gerlach said…
Not a young woman? Oh, yes you are. I can say that because I'm 53. Happiest of Birthdays!
Happy Birthday! I think for me, turning 40 has been my favorite so far. Freedom to not care what others thought and the experience to feel like I had something of value to share. Life just gets better....enjoy it all!
Anonymous said…
Happy born-day, Jessie! :-)

Wow, did you realize that I'm 12 years older than you? Jeeps, you're young.

What is womanhood? It's that place you come to when you finally realize that the world doesn't revolve around you but around the ones you love, and you’re still happy and satisfied in spite of it. No ... because of it. :-)

Here's a quote I like:

“Responsibility is the thing people dread most of all. Yet it is the one thing in the world that develops us, gives us manhood or womanhood fiber.”

So there you go, girl. Put away the prunes and bran flakes. You've already got your fiber.

Have a great day!!!
Nancy J. Parra said…
Happy birthday!! 26 is a good year. I wish you all the best!
Anonymous said…
Happy birthday! You're not that much older than me (a little over a year).

And I think Anita stated it best about being a woman, although sometimes I still don't think I've arrived "there" yet :P

BTW, I tagged you on my blog for a meme. Don't feel obligated to fill it out :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Angie, Kristen, and Rita! LOL
Thank you for the birthday wishes. :-) You all are so sweet.
Jessica Nelson said…
Sherrinda, your attitude is so awesome. I just saw an interview with Sandra Bulluck. I believe she just turned forty too, and she said no one could pay her to go back because so far everything is just getting better and better.
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Anita,
I didn't want to point it out but I'm closer in age to your daughter. *snicker*

Great words of wisdom! Not sure I'm there yet, but I'm working on it.

btw, prunes are for old people. LOL
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks Nancy! :-)

Dara, I think that's how I found you, 'cause I noticed we're close in age. Anyways, I'll check out your blog later. Thanks for tagging me. :-)
Happy Day, Jessica! I know exactly what you mean, about feeling different. For so long I still felt like a teenager, and in some ways I still do, but in the last few years I've begun to feel more tuned, more refined. If that makes sense? And I've noticed it in my face - suddenly I see these womanly features. :)

Hope you have a great birthday!
I don't believe it. You and I share the same birthday......only nearly a couple decades apart ;(

Happy Birthday, Jessica. May we both have great days!
Keli Gwyn said…
Wishing you a wonderful celebration of your special day. May this year be filled with blessings aplenty.

And, no, you're no where near middle age. Speaking as one who'll reach the half century mark this summer, I know. Enjoy the second half of your twenties.
Jessie Oliveros said…
You say you were self-assured when you were a teenager. That's great. I never felt that way...maybe that's why I want to write for teens. All my MC's can be all that I wasn't. Happy Birthday. I agree that womanhood is looking outside of yourself-so it's kind of forced upon you when you become a mother. And since you are already a mother, you were probably already a woman.
Hi Jess -

Happy Birthday! Don't fret about the mistakes. Let the Lord turn them around for your good.

26. Wow, I remember when I was 26 -a long time ago. Enjoy the journey. :)

Blessings,
Susan
Jessica Nelson said…
Janna, when you say womanly features...are you referring to wrinkles? LOL 'Cause I'm definitely seeing those!
Heheee.
I'm glad you know what I mean, though. It's weird, right?
Jessica Nelson said…
Eileen, that is crazy! Wow. Happy birthday to you! I hope you have a lovely day. :-)
Tana said…
*~Happy Birthday~* You're the birthday princess today! Do something just for you! God Bless you with many more!
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks Keli. :-)
So, you have a birthday coming up? I hope you get a great, big party!
Jessica Nelson said…
Jessie, I know most teens are not. But I was very much a loner bookaholic and so I didn't register too much on the social scale. I'm glad you're writing books for teens. It's one of the most impressionable times of a person's life, I think.
Thanks for stopping by. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Susan, great advice!
I'd love to hear about when you were 26. I'll bet you have some good stories.
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL T. Anne. When you said many more, I suddenly thought kids instead of years. Talk about a spike of alarm! LOL
But thank you for the blessing! :-)
Kevin said…
Jessie:
You are a blessing, a huge encouragement to many. May the Lord surround you with favor today and every day of the coming year! 26 is a good year. Come to think of it, EVERY year is good if you walk with the Lord. And I agree with Susan, don't look back with guilt. Let Jesus turn your regrets into stepping stones for growth.
Love, Jeanette
Sarah said…
I turned 26 last year and had some of the same thoughts you're having. There's something about getting closer to 30 and further away from 20. *Sigh* I wish I could go backwards.
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL Sarah! But everything I'm hearing is that forward is better! I know what you mean though. There's a certain nostalgia to the passing of youth.
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks Jen! I appreciate the encouragement and you're SO right about walking with Jesus!
Carol said…
Happy Birthday, Jessica.

You're still a young woman in my opinion. At your age I wasn't even married yet; now I'm 55. The years went fast, and each decade had its joys and regrets.

I think being a woman is something you feel rather than an age you attain, but it's related to maturity. My mom got married at 16, and considered herself a woman at the time. Sometimes I still feel I'm not there yet.
Tana said…
Nothing wrong with more kids! ;)
Jessie Oliveros said…
Oops, I didn't realize I was trading blog comment for blog comment. Actually ever since our blogs have been introduced I haven't missed a BookingIt post. I like your blog because you have that element of faith that other blogs don't have.
Jessica Nelson said…
Wow Carol, about your mom. You're probably right about it being an inside thing, rather than an age thing. It's just the age number is so concrete. LOL
The years do go fast.
Thanks for stopping by. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
T. Anne, I wish my hubby agreed. Actually, some days I want more, some days I wish I were fixed. LOL Do you have kids? I'll have to check your blog out. :-)
Jessica Nelson said…
Thanks Jessie. That's a really nice thing to say.
Candi said…
Happy Birthday!!!

Hope it's a great one. I've always loved it when my kids sang happy birthday. Best present in the world.

Mistakes? We're just going to keep making them. As long as we learn from them - then we become better people for having made them. LOL.

And I think every woman has their own definition. Some at 20 some at 80. For me - just being content with myself, and happy with my life, secure in the fact that I'm a good (far from perfect) human being, is all the woman I could ever be.
Candi said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Happy Birthday Fellow Piscean! Feb 26th was mine! :)
Jessica Nelson said…
Candi, wise words. :-) Thanks for stopping by.
Jessica Nelson said…
Ooh, happy birthday Kathryn! :-)
Debbie said…
Happy belated birthday. I am a middle-aged woman and it is not as bad as people make it out to be:)
Karen Hossink said…
Awww! Happy belated birthday, Jessica!
You know, I always have felt young. I have a September birthday, so I was among the youngest in my class through college graduation, and still assume I'm younger than everyone wherever I go.
But now that 40 is only a few years away, I'm hoping to actually start feeling like a "woman" and not a girl. Not sure when/how that will happen for me...*grin*
Jessica Nelson said…
LOL
Nothing wrong with feeling like a girl for longer. I like people who can stay at young at heart, it's a great quality!
Janet said…
I just felt like a girl with babies after my kids were born. Until teenagers started looking at me with defiance in their eyes. They more or less booted me over the line. I was no longer classified with big sisters, but with mothers. It took a while to get used to.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and for leaving a quality comment.
Katie Salidas said…
Happy Late B-day. I've been away from the blogs for too long. Hope you had a wonderful day.
Jessica Nelson said…
Hey Janet and quixotic,
Thanks for the birthday wishes! :-)
Janet, you're too funny! I'm definitely not looking forward to the teenage years.

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