As of this morning, I have been alive for thirty four years. (It sounds like more than I feel like it is. When did I even become an adult?)
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If I could sum up my twenties in one word, it would be: lost. Even though I was married and had three children in that decade, and was steadily employed, I personally felt very lost as to what my purpose was in life.
I felt like I had no plan or direction with my vocation or even my hobbies most of the time. It was like I was living in a cloud and couldn’t see past the end of my nose.
But in the last few years, particularly after turning 30, I started to gain a bit of clarity, which has continued to increase over time. I don’t really know how to explain it but the world started becoming simpler.
I know my main purpose and priority in life is being a good husband and father. If I fail my wife or kids in any way, nothing else I do will matter. But learning how to be a good person is a continual process of refinement and reinvention as you get older. Learning how to find balance in a life that’s constantly changing, at the same time as the rest of the world, isn’t easy.
Luckily, I have a strong foundation with my marriage because of my wife. She knows exactly what she wants and is content with everything she has, while she constantly amazes me with her strength, love, and grace. Not a day goes by when I don’t realize how grateful I am to have her in my life.
It’s also a rare thing to have a partner who equally supports you while challenging you at the same time. At times it can even be frustrating because I am too stubborn to admit when she’s right. But as much as she would admit she’s not perfect, she is constantly making me a better person. I feel fortunate to have someone like that in my life at all, let alone the person I will grow old with.
Feeling Generous?
If I could be so bold as to ask you for something on my birthday, it would be to help me raise money to help bring clean water to the world.
Every day, about 1,400 children die from diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are simple solutions like drilled wells, spring protections and BioSand filters that help provide clean water to communities around the world.
I started this fundraising campaign to help charity: water build these types of projects around the world, and I’m looking for anyone who can help me.
100% of the money will be used to build clean water projects, and when they’re complete, charity: water will send us photos and GPS coordinates so we can see the exact community we helped.
I’m hoping to raise $340. If you don’t have any spare cash, you could still help by sharing about the charity on social media. Thank you!!!
https://youtu.be/xVkbJ2MfNxY
Link to Campaign: https://my.charitywater.org/craig-allen/34
