Today is my birthday. In the real world, this means I'm accepting gift cards to Starbucks, Kroger, and Amazon. In the blogging world, this means I'm supposed to deliver a numbered listicle (the number matching the arbitrary year of life where my matter took shape and emerged from another clump of matter) of triumphs and insights from the past year or else promises for my coming year of life. Well, I wouldn't want to disappoint. But I don't have exactly 24 (or 25) revelations to share with you - unless you want to hear my theory that the song "Angelina" on the Lumineers' sophomore album is connected to the song "Slow It Down" on their freshman album.

Instead, earlier this month on my walk to work, I composed the following list of truths I've experienced or reaffirmed this past year. At least if I'm remembering correctly in my old age. And some are revelations, but not all.

Feel free to comment or question what I consider "truths" at 25. Knowledge grows with debate. (Oh, that should be added to the below list!)