As a countdown to my 30th birthday on March 18, I’ve committed to offering 30 people, things and experiences I want to celebrate from the last 30 years. Grab a piece of cake and enjoy reading!

Okay, so “baldness” may be a bit misleading. That’s not exactly what I’m celebrating and as a matter of fact I have a very full head of hair. So much so that the hairdresser spends a solid 10 minutes thinning it out at each visit.

But there’s what we might call elective baldness. And that’s where I fit in.

At the tender of age of 16, I chose to shave my head. Primary motivation: why the heck not?!? Secondary motivation: I was feeling a little attached to my beautiful blonde locks. With friends doing nothing short of egging me on one summer’s day, we grabbed the nearest clippers and buzzed it all off.

(At the 1996 Olympic Games)

In my 30 years thus far, I truly consider this to be a dogeared moment. Not only does it make excellent party fodder and put every hairdresser at ease when I request a funky haircut (afterall, if it was shaved once…), but it has altered the way I view myself in significant ways. Importantly, I have been able to experience myself as “okay” when running counter to cultural and even personal expectations.

So I celebrate my 16 year-old-self’s courageous act, knowing that I continue to make similar (though rarely such overtly physical) choices that require much courage. It’s incredibly helpful to have a solid role model!

As a countdown to my 30th birthday on March 18, I’ve committed to offering 30 people, things and experiences I want to celebrate from the last 30 years. Grab a piece of cake and enjoy reading!

I have to admit that this initial celebration post felt a little pressure-laden at first.  I quickly realized, however, that there was an obvious and natural starting place. So I’m simply going to start where I literally started: with my mother.

As with most children, my relationship with my mother has run the gamut these last thirty years. I remember turning to my mom when one of my older brothers had just entered his snarky teenaged years and telling her I’d always be really nice to her. And then, of course, I became a teenager. To my delight, she has since become an incredibly close friend!

While I’ll never be able to celebrate her – or the other people in my life – as fully as they each deserve, I offer the following:

Thanks, Mom, for the whole birth thing. And the rearing. And the money for college. But today I am mostly present to an abiding sense of gratitude that you have followed your own dreams, for in that act I have found courage to follow my own, belief in the impossible and an endless source of joy!

I’m turning 30. Yes, yes, it’s true!

You might be wondering how I feel about this inevitable next step in life. You’re not? Click here. For the rest of you, let me say that I generally feel terrific. It has been my experience thus far that life gets better with age. The older folks in my circle generally confirm that to be true as well.

It also feels a little weird. There’s a whole cultural narrative around being 20-something that sort of takes the pressure off. Turning 30 definitely feels like a call to a truer form of adulthood or something. It’s attractive…and it’s a little weird.

To usher in the conclusion of my first 30 years on this planet, I’ve decided to write a blog post for each of the next 30 days: 30 people, things and experiences I want to celebrate from the 30 years. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating via this platform – and I’d love to hear why you’re celebrating what you’re celebrating!