do you remember being asked what you wanted to accomplish by age thirty?
my answer was always simple. by age thirty, i wanted to write a book. other than being behind a camera, there are few things that i enjoy more than writing. i think more than anything, it is the idea of storytelling. i simply love a good story.
recently, due to an intense amount of work and traveling all over the country for various productions, i haven’t had the time to just sit and write. there are always so many things i want to talk about and so many ideas swimming in my mind, but i sometimes miss the opportunity to put them on paper. so, after turning thirty this week, i wanted to share some of my thoughts and reflections.
semi-unexpectedly, i was given the absolute perfect birthday party by my beautiful wife. surrounded by some of our closest friends and family, we laughed the night away with kelly’s famous homemade soup and some uniquely special cupcakes. these magical little desserts were topped with perfectly-scaled apple logos, each one hand-cut and assembled by kelly herself. they were so unbelievable that i could hardly bring myself to eat one. in fact, the entire party consisted of an apple theme. modern. minimal. gray and white. all of which pretty much describes my lifestyle. it was perfect. below is a photo of one of these gorgeous cupcakes handmade by kelly.
but the biggest surprise of the night was one that i never could have seen coming. just as i thought i had opened the last card, jackson and emerson came running around the corner with one last gift. i will never forget the pure excitement that i experienced while pulling back the gift wrap to discover an ipad. i couldn’t believe it. i later discovered that in the weeks leading up to my party, kelly had actually put together a garage sale in order to raise the extra money needed for that one priceless gift. that kind of selflessness and generosity meant everything to me.
but as wonderful as it feels to hold that ipad in my hands, the single best gift from my birthday is the story that i will forever keep. watching how hard kelly worked to save the money for an ipad, and then seeing the joy on her face when she gave it to me. hearing the herds of pounding little feet running across our floors as all of the children screamed with laughter. reading the cards that everyone put so much thought into, and receiving unexpected gifts from the heart. gazing at my wife in her element, as she hosted and tended to every guest with such grace. these are the things that matter to me. this is what i will take away from all of it.
so maybe you are about to cross a milestone. maybe you are turning thirty. or maybe forty, fifty, or sixty. maybe you are reflecting on your life and what you have accomplished. if so, then i simply leave you with this. don’t get caught up in all of the goals and achievements. instead, get caught up in the moments. enjoy every second, do something you love, and create a great story.