I love birthdays. And I believe in celebrating them for an entire month. (Why not…they only come around once a year, right?)
For most of my life, I have looked forward to celebrating turning another year older, especially the “milestone” years:
10 – the double digits
13 – hello, teenager!
15 – driver’s permit
16 – Watch out, road, I’m driving!
18 – I can vote!
21 – well…
I will confess, the thought of turning 40 disrupted my love of birthdays. I pictured my sweet grandmother (God rest her always-baking soul) who I spent all my school-age summers with. I remember her being old, shuffling about the house, baking cakes and cookies and wearing a MuMu. When I do the age math, she was in her 40’s. Not the encouragement I needed.
I decided that would not be my 40. I absolutely, 100% believe that you truly are as young as you feel. I may not be able to stop 40 from coming, but nobody said it has to be the beginning of the end. Forget what you’ve heard or seen, this is how I do 40.
It started with an early birthday present in June from my friend Cat in the form of Justin Bieber tickets! Did my squad throw down? You better belieb it!
Next up, an early girls weekend celebration the last weekend in August. It involved a sweet hotel, a ridiculously good dinner, and a honky tonk:
Last Wednesday, I woke up to the last day of 39. And you know what I did?
I went to the Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato concert. With two friends who are ten years or more younger than me. And it was a blast.
I got to spend my first day in my 40’s exactly how I like to spend most of my time: with my people. Two of my favorite friends (shout out to Janice and Sarah S.!) put together a happy hour for me full of all of my people across every part of my life. There were old friends and new friends, work friends and church friends. And even one legit member of my family. But all of these people are like family to me.
Time is like the Polar Express. You can’t exactly see it until it’s upon you. Somewhere in the midst of growing through my 30s, the Lord opened my eyes to see that 40 isn’t what I thought. I may have dreaded turning 40 without some of the things I thought I would have at this point in my life, but I entered with greater confidence, incredible relationships and a knowing of myself that I wouldn’t trade away any wrinkles for. In fact, from the wonderful women I know who have a year or two or ten on me, my 40s may very well turn out to be my favorite decade.
My people. My God. My trials. My blessings. These all make up my 40. And, if #thisis40, I’ll take it.*
*MuMu not included.
So tell me…if you’re not yet in your 40s, what are you looking forward to? If you are having the 40’s experience or are a 40’s veteran, tell me what you loved the most.