the night my heart glowed with joy

My birthday has come and gone and it's kind of hard to believe how perfect it turned out to be. More than the occasion, the event, the place, the money, the weather, the time, it's the people around you that make all the difference. And on Thursday night, each individual person who came to my 22nd had a way of making my heart GLOW. :) That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call the natural high which comes with overwhelming contentment.

Having Kirsty there really was the cherry on top of the cake, and I know it wouldn't have come close to being the awesome, perfect night it was without her there playing "host," making sure everything was going well and everyone was happy. More than that, I am so glad my family -- parents and sister -- could come share in the evening with my friends; it was the meeting and marrying of the two groups of people in my life who together "make my joy complete."

In the midst of life and all the craziness that comes with it, it seems I've managed to surround myself with the most lovely, beautiful, amazing, brilliant people: friends of the past, present, and times to come. What an incredible feat that is in and of itself! At the end of the day it is those passing conversations, seemingly insignificant moments, the glance, a look, a thought shared between those you love that is the measure of a life fully lived. And my cup, in that way, abounds. Not too shabby for 22 years. :)

Twenty-two... yikes. Strange as it is to admit it feels like a real milestone. More than 18 or 21, Thursday night felt like a real turning point in my life. I think it was looking back on how far I've come, the people surrounding me, and the fact that I'm no longer "21" but now "in my twenties." It really feels like the end of an era.