Birthday Letters

Each year I try to write myself a nice birthday letter. This year I’m also writing one for Apollo, so this post will be quite long but meaningful. Enjoy!

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Dear Jenny,

Take a moment to breathe, sink into the moment and appreciate everything around you. 28 will be an amazing year and I am predicting it will be far greater than your 27th!

This past year was full of making new friends, traveling the country for work, transitions and coming full circle back to your body, mind and soul. You’ve been to Georgia, Texas, New York and Canada. You have come back to a career that was made for you and practiced more yoga in the past month than this past year alone (that might be an exaggeration – but keep it up anyway). You have experienced the full idea of what it means to love yourself from the inside out. You’ve had more massages and pedicures this year and it truly has made you a better person, do NOT stop this beauty regime. It fuels your soul.

Keep writing it is also good for the soul. Keep helping others, spreading love and continuing to push yourself further than you thought you could!

This year will be about growth: creating your business, getting back into your body and teaching from the heart, moving back to the city you love, becoming closer to family and creating a new home. It will bring more travel and many more adventures as well so always have a toothbrush packed and remember your charger & batteries.

This year you will do more than just keep your head above water, you will THRIVE! You are back where you belong and although it took a wee bit longer than you wanted to get here, everything happens for a reason. Continue to live your motto: Isvara Pranidhana, the belief in the universe or God that everything will work out the way it SHOULD…. surrender to God. Go back to church. Get into the studio more often than you ever believed you could. Write daily. Take Apollo for more walks. Re-explore your city when you move. Take in as much fresh air & beach time on the Cape before you leave. Throw more parties. Organize retreats. Laugh every single day. Don’t stop living, EVER.

You should also create a vision board and do more scrapbooking. Make that one of your goals this year and play catch up with your photographs. Take more pictures; for you and for your blog. Take a sushi making class and another trapeze class! Maybe you should learn how to tango or something equally as silly. Take your best friends out on dates. Always make room for guests and hot chocolate.

This summer, you will teach SUP (stand up paddle board) yoga, you will be outdoors more often and perhaps even climb a wee little mountain with Apollo. You and your girlfriends will walk, drink tea, write and sit side by side laughing and enjoying life.

Make dating your husband a priority. Right now his schedule is crazy, but you always find time for each other. Make even MORE time when his schedule calms down: re-explore your city together, walk the parks with Apollo, go to NH this winter with friends and cultivate romance every single day in the little things you do! He makes you laugh every day and is your biggest supporter; never forget that. Continue to create an amazing life together every day! You are “that” couple. Soak it in. He loves you. You love him. Life is good AMAZING!

Create yet another tribe of yogis in the city. Find the perfect Kundalini class. Begin to research your next educational adventure, but think about paying off some of the loans first. Make time for workshops; they do the mind and body good.

Find a new book series to love. Finally watch Twilight.

Love Apollo & Digger as hard as you can. Do NOT adopt another pet. You aren’t ready. They JUST started to snuggle together on the couch and in bed. Soak in their love for each other and watch it grow.

Buy the biggest roll of stamps the post office will allow and write more letters. It’s fun to get stuff in the mail you know that. Get to it! {When hubby isn’t looking, sneak one into the mail for him too!}

While you look for your new home, do not settle for anything less than what you and your husband deserve. Find the perfect place. Temporary means temporary and that’s okay. You’ll find the one. Make sure you can throw those big parties there!

Make time for those massages and pedicures. Make time to play outside with your puppy. Create amazing date nights for you and your husband. Re-kindle old girlfriend relationships and drag your newest girlfriend into the city on adventures when she moves too. Hold more babies, but don’t have one until you travel to India first. Cuddle with not just your little family but your immediate family too. Make more time for Grandma because now you will be home.

Most of all create and cultivate LOVE in everything you do. Be thankful everyday. Do not give up on gratitude. This year is about growth: internally, externally, business and personal. Take it all in and watch it grow. Laugh, love and continue to live the life you only dreamed of a few years back.

Love, love, love, love

Happy Birthday!
Jenny

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Dear Apollo,

I cannot believe today is our birthday! You will be two years old my handsome boy and I feel as though you have been in my life forever. In reality you’ve only been here a little under 2 years.

This year I have seen you grow both in size and in personality. You are much braver than you ever were and can easily take on big dogs (except for your best buddy Turk, you’ll literally roll over for him any day). You light up when we drive to daycare and the beach and you JUST started snuggling with Digger.

Watching you & Digger on the couch last week snuggled up against one another at my feet melted my heart. I think now that you two are my furry babies and you melt my heart into a million pieces of mush – what in the world will we ever do when we have kids? I’ll cry every day, out of joy and pure MUSH!

I love your snuggles, your dub-step walk, the way you’re so good with kids and people who need you to be loving. I love that next year (with a little extra work) you’ll be able to visit people in the hospitals and give them extra kisses just because it’s fun to spread joy! I love walking the beach with you and I especially love “walking” in the city with you knowing full well we cannot walk more than 5 minutes without a “hello” from people on the street.

You are perfect my little man. Thank you for letting us rescue you – you light up our lives!

Love, love, love!
Happy Birthday!!!!

Xo –Mom

8 thoughts on “Birthday Letters

  1. Kim

    Jenny this is fantastic! I’m going to write myself a belated birthday letter today. What a great inspiration this is. Thank you so much for sharing your practice with me.

    Reply
  2. Cathy

    That is such a wonderful way to celebrate another year of life, to reflect, and make suggestions for the year ahead. I also like the letter you wrote to your furry friend. I can only imagine what a dub-step walk would look like done by a dog! I love the idea of the letters as well as some of the goals you outlined. Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Jenny R Post author

      Thank you Cathy! It’s such a fun gift to myself RSVP year and is a fun practice to get into! Apollos dub step walk is hysterical. He just loves life and everyone so he wiggles around when he greets people. My husbands friends have nicknamed him dubstep!

      Reply
  3. Emily

    I LOVE this idea Jenny! And am totally going to borrow it for myself and my beloved pup Disco! It’s so important to take time and reflect and set intentions for what we want to create in the upcoming year. Thank you!!

    Reply
  4. Sabrina at MyMiBoSo

    What a beautiful ritual Jenny – and of course I LOVE your motto!

    Isvara Pranidhana, the belief in the universe or God that everything will work out the way it SHOULD…. surrender to God.

    Yes, yes, yes!

    Reply
    1. Jenny R Post author

      Thanks Sabrina! That’s actually one of my tattoos. I love the saying and have it on my forearm in Sanskrit to remind me daily to come back to myself and to surrender. Sending you major love!

      Reply

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