Yep, today is my birthday and unlike many other “monumental” birthdays (16, 21, 30), this one seemed to bother me as I kept creeping ever closer to it. Now that 35 (halfway to 70 – as I’ve been telling Jill) is upon me, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.

It’s actually caused me to reflect a little on things. I consider myself lucky for the life I have. I have a great wife, two great sons and a great family (and extended family). I have a great job and I enjoy going to work everyday.

Thanks to Carter (and soon Riley), I get to play baseball, Ben 10, superheroes, board games and watch cartoons whenever time permits. Unfortunately, with 2 kids and everything else that life entails, that’s not as often as I want, but I enjoy and cherish those moments. I try not to let the opportunity pass when it presents itself.

As I look back on the past 35 years, I see a lot of successes and a lot of mistakes as well. However, my favorite thing to do is to look at where I am now. I look at the wall of photos, cards, coloring books pages, and toys on my desk in front of my and it brings a smile to face. What makes that smile even bigger is thinking what my desk, those photos and this wall will look like in a another 5, 10, and 15 years.

If there is one piece of advice I can give, it is this: embrace change. As you get older, your life will definitely change and so will everything around you. Don’t waste time trying to do the same old thing everyday. Look at what’s happening around you and participate. Jump in. Be an active part of that family that you share your life with.