I can remember when turning forty seemed like it was a million years away and forty was soooo old. I remember when my parents were forty and they seemed pretty old. The age gap between me and my parents is much smaller than me and my kids. I can only imagine what they will think as they grow up. I can’t define the exact moment when forty stopped seeming old to me. It could have been in my early twenties when my mother passed away in her forties, way too young. It could have been the day I became a mother at thirty-four and immediately began wishing for more time. I do know it wasn’t last Thursday when I celebrated my birthday and Thanksgiving on the same day. On my fortieth birthday I still felt young. Admittedly, not as young as I used to, but it doesn’t feel like I have reached that dreaded hill yet.
I have a lot of things I want to work on as I head into this new decade of life, but I have to take a few minutes to reflect on the things I have done right.
Five Reasons I Feel Young at 40
- I waited to have kids until I was 34– If anything keeps you feeling young its having young children in your home. My son is five and my daughter is one. They are a beautiful and refreshing reminder that there is so much life still to live.
- I have a happy marriage– I didn’t say perfect. I said happy. My husband and I are great friends on top of our truly loving commitment to each other. I should also mention my husband is a couple years younger than me, so I am younger by association. Right?
- I take great care of my skin– I’ll share my skincare routine at another time, but the keys are to keep your skin clean and well moisturized. Oh, and sunblock every day. Yes, every day!
- I love connecting with people of all ages– Sure, a lot of my friends are around my age, but I can relate to people from other generations. I struggle with identifying myself as a Gen-Xer, because there are so many parts of me that totally relate to millennials and the generations before mine. I have to admit I feel super cool when my friend’s teenage daughters send me a friend request on Facebook. #socool
- I still have so much left to accomplish– I have so many hopes and dreams for me and my family, for my career, and for my life in general. I definitely plan to spend some time this year to make some plans and set goals for the future.
Yay! Happy Birthday to me! As life moves into this new decade, some early plans are to invest more time in self-care and to not miss a moment with my family. No matter what your age, its great to spend time reflecting on where you have been and where you want to go. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you feel about your age and what you discovered while reflecting.
Corinna @ The Mommy Clause says
I love this and feel the same way – blogged about it when I turned 41 back in March! I hope that my daughters will feel the same about embracing the age you are. I never understood the effort people (often women) put in dreading a number – what will they expect then when they actually get there?
TwoLittleRippers says
I think things have definitely changed since our moms were 40!
Amy says
I like your energy! I too am a mimblogger in her 40’s. Good to hear more of us out there!
TwoLittleRippers says
Thanks! There are for sure people of all ages in the mom blogger community! You are not alone mama!
Jody says
WHOOP WHOOP!!!! You’re only as old as you feel!! I LOVE that you are doing your thing at 40! It’s NOT old!! xoxo
TwoLittleRippers says
Yes! SO not old!