Sunday, July 6, 2014

Pass the Pepper

Yesterday was my birthday. Wait. Let me try that again.

***Yesterday was my birthday!***

That odd feeling of coming to terms with last year's age, only to have one year added to it has once again seized me. I avoid feeling too morose about the whole thing by throwing myself a fabulous birthday party filled with crazy friends and family.
And I'm beginning to see that there's something beautiful that comes with age. I've always been a bit of a sassy character myself (more on that later), but in the last year or so, I've learned some things that have helped boost my self-confidence.  Here are my top three:

I'm actually getting cuter. No joke! All the me that is me is coming to the surface. Along with a great stylist, good taste, and my sense of humor, I'm coming to understand that slim doesn't equal happy. Happy, fun, and full of purpose equal happy.
I have what it takes to be a writer. My mom is indeed my biggest fan, but when she said: I keep forgetting that you wrote this! as we went through my first draft, something inside me shifted. I can't be an aspiring writer or a closet writer any more. It's time to shine. (Let me add that having someone say they'd like to publish said first draft doesn't hurt either. Thank you, mom and Cedar Fort.)

A good friend, a great pair of shoes, a new dress, and/or chocolate can cure most ills. There is a whole load of crap just waiting to rain down on us every day. It's our job to create a safe haven and happy circumstances that will keep us moving forward with a smile instead of shlumping along with a frown.

Now back to my inborn sassiness, (though perhaps the whole tenor of this post betrays a certain amount of that). At My First Ever Writing Conference, I met the lovely and talented Melanie Jacobson. She's authored a number of LDS Contemporary Fiction novels for young adults. As she signed my newly purchased copy of Not My Type, she paid me the nicest compliment: I know you'll love Pepper, because you have the same sassy Pepper demeanor!
It made my day! Especially now that I finally carved out a week to plow through Not My Type, and came to know the ins and outs of Pepper Spicer.  She's not only sassy, but holds her own in the face of snarky boys and bosses with questionable ethics. Pepper refuses to wallow in the depths of despair after being dumped on what is practically her wedding day. Instead, she embraces her dreams and works to make them a reality in both her personal and professional life.

So yes, if someone who hardly knows me can see a healthy amount of Pepper sass in me, I'll take it! And keep working to help others recognize it as well. (Like snarky boys, for instance.)


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Thanks for stopping in! I've been writing/editing so much that I barely have time for blogging these days. Follow the links above to learn more about Melanie, my vow to not be an aspiring anything or a closet writer, and fun things I learned at My First Ever Writing Conference. Thanks again!

8 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday. Mine in a week. Bastille Day - they knew I was coming. Age brings its own sassiness...and I warn you, after 60 IT GETS BETTER!!! I think I am feistier and take less S**T than I did 10,20 years ago. So great post, blow out those candles with pride!! (I may have to take a bit of a run up to mine)

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    1. You are the best! If I can become as amazing as you in a few years, I'll count myself lucky! ☺️

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  2. Happy Birthday, Sarah! With ages comes confidence and an insatiable sassiness that burns to come alive inside and out! So own your age, own your writing and most importantly, own your sassy and amazing self! It only gets better as we grow more comfortable within our larger than life minds and sexy skin=)

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    1. Thanks, Gina! I really am beginning to feel that...funny that it didn't come until my 30s...But there's always time for more sassiness!

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  3. Happy Birthday, Sarah! Love the sassy-embrace-life attitude and the great hair! Cheers to another year of emergence and getting cuter!

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    1. Thanks, Charli! I am owning it! And I'm terribly grateful for a good stylist with vision! 😉

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  4. I have found that as I get older I get way cooler, at least in my mind ;) Glad you had a good birthday and great news about your work!

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    1. So true! I still reserve the right to be an irrational woman every now & then, but I feel the same way! Thanks, dear!

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