Trente Cinq

Last Tuesday I turned 35. It seems like just yesterday I was a 25 year-old blushing bride and now I am smack dab in my mid-30’s. When I turned 21, I realized it was the last birthday I was looking forward to so I made a conscious decision to not dread future birthdays, but try to embrace them with gratitude. To be honest I actually love my 30’s, but it’s surreal how fast it is going by.

Coinciding with my birthday was a news event in Canada regarding the Governor General’s resignation due to a damning report on workplace toxicity and abuse. I won’t go too in-depth about whether Canda should abolish the role and abandon a constitutional democracy in favour of a republic or the individual herself, but it made me pause and take note. Here is someone who was an accomplished person- an astronaut, fluent in six languages and represented Her Majesty on Canada’s behalf. Yet with all the success, there was a trail of stories of mistreatment. Perhaps that aggressive attitude launched Julie Payette’s success… but also led to her downfall.

When I read this story I was disheartened as it is a real shame both on our country and Payette herself. We will forever associate her public persona as someone with an impressive resume, but lacking in character. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says, “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing,” [emphasis mine].

With milestone birthdays, I think it’s common to reflect on what we have and perhaps more damaging what we haven’t [yet] accomplished. There is nothing wrong with dreaming big and I have big dreams too. I believe having goals is a powerful force to living intentinoally. However; the collapse of the G.G’s once stellar public image illustrates perfectly what is most important: kindness and love far outweigh any other tangible barometers of success and accolades we may acquire. I hope to achieve many things, but more importantly, I hope I will be known as someone who was kind.