How Am I 40!?!?
I vaguely remember turning 30. I had a brand-new baby boy and had no idea what I was doing as a mom. I had just gone back to work at a job I didn’t feel good at, and commuted an hour each way. I was excited about celebrating my birthday (I’m a Leo, after all) but had zero bandwidth to plan anything. None of my clothes fit and I didn’t have the time, motivation, or money to spend on shopping for anything cute. And we were new to the neighborhood after living in Seattle for years and hadn’t made any local friends. Things weren’t bad -- especially in the grand scheme of things -- but I just remember feeling down in the dumps about turning 30.
My husband was a super-star and threw me a great surprise party at a restaurant in Seattle. A bunch of friends and former co-workers came and it was lovely. It was one of the first times I’d been out since my son was born and I had so much fun.
And now 40…
I am truly excited for my 40s. I’ve heard from so many people that their 40s are/were amazing and a great balance of feeling secure in who they were and yet still healthy enough to enjoy their kids and be physically active. I feel so lucky that I can agree with that sentiment and that I feel both comfortable with where I’m at and grateful for my and my family’s health.
As someone who runs a business centered on celebrating every birthday, especially big milestones like 40, I feel a lot of pressure to REALLY make a big deal about my 40th (self-imposed pressure, naturally). I kind of made things difficult because I waited till the last minute to make plans, which, if you have an August birthday in the Pacific Northwest means everyone already has plans for every August weekend (you’ve got to take advantage of the weather!). So, my husband and I planned a quick getaway to Walla Walla wine country on my actual birthday, and a later-in-September weekend celebration with friends.
Both were magical, and I definitely felt spoiled. I'm a firm believer that happiness is celebrating life with the people you love, no matter what age you are. And the best part of getting older is having people I love in my life for 5, 10, and 20 years. It's truly the best.