I hear it's going to be sunny tomorrow.

I don't know what department she works in. I don't even know her name. We're the sort of stereotypical work acquaintances that will only talk about the weather, or how close it is to Friday, or how much we hate Mondays. There isn't a particular reason we haven't gotten to know each other better, and I think we're just fine with being friendly coworkers. Nothing more and nothing less. 

One morning I saw her in passing, and we gave each other our usual smile hello. I was about to compliment her on her new hairstyle, but just as she walked past me, I realized: this isn't a new hairstyle, she's wearing a wig. And then I put two and two together. She had been out of the office for about week or so, and she seemed to have lost weight. It was clear to me that my coworker was going through chemotherapy.

I wasn't sure how to react. I was surprised, concerned, and I thought about what would be the most appropriate way to extend my support without stepping over the line of casual acquaintance. I couldn't just go up to her and say "Nice weather we're having, just one more day till Friday! I'm sorry you have cancer. What's your name, by the way?" So I carried on like usual, smiling hello in passing and commenting on the crazy weather we're having. I figured normal is what she needs right now, and treating her any differently won't help, especially if I don't know her very well. If she wants to reach out to me I'll listen, but in the meantime, we'll continue discussing our absolute love for Fridays, and I'll try to bring a little sunshine to her rainy day while we wait for the storm to pass.

Let's Get Stuck in the Middle!

I just turned 28. I'm not the type of girl who's embarrassed about her age. As far as I'm concerned, I've got nothing to hide, and nothing to be ashamed of. Likewise, I like A LOT of attention on my birthday. Sing "Happy Birthday" to me in a crowded restaurant and bring over a properly candled cake? Bring it! Birthdays are all about us, and I'm going to milk it for all it's worth.

I think our late twenties are an interesting age. My peers are all over the map when it comes to their lives. I've got friends my age who still live at home and work hourly-wage jobs. I've got friends my age who own their own home and are married with children. I've got friends my age who are still in school, friends my age who are in young professional mode, and friends my age who are stay-at-home moms. 

In our early twenties, many of us are still in college or still living at home. When I was 22, I still felt like a teenager. I wasn't yet living as an independent adult. In our mid-twenties, we're just getting on our feet. For me personally, that was when I ended my post-college extended adolescence and started to truly live as an adult, complete with a salary, rent, and bills. By our thirties, many of us will be getting married and having children.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love being 28. I love being in that in-between place of recent college grad/young adult and wife and mother. I love being a young professional who's just starting her career, and I love renting an apartment with my boyfriend. Even though I'm going to be 30 in just two short years, in a lot of ways I also feel like my adult life is just beginning. And it's all very exciting to me. Who knows what's going to happen next!

Here we go again

I feel like one can never participate in too many online communities, no? Socal media, web 2.0, it always comes back to the good ol' fashioned blog. In the end, we all just want to tell stories. Bring it!