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40 to me sounds like I have to be responsible and grow up. Act mature or something! 40! I can remember my Mum being 40 and she was sooooooo ooooooold! (Sorry Mum).
A few months ago I read a book where a girl was supposed to marry this OLD guy. Her father wanted her to and she was so disgusted. He was so OLD. He was like, 40!!!! I wanted to throw the book across the room! What is wrong with 40???
Oh man did I not look forward to Saturday. Time happens though. When we want it to slow down it comes at us with rocket propulsion and snatches us as it flies past. Saturday morning came and I sat up in bed. Huh. I looked around. Huh. I was amazed. During the night my teeth hadn't fallen out, my hair wasn't dyed that old lady orange or purple, my body wasn't wracked with arthritis, and I didn't need to find my bifocals to see that I'd slept in on the alarm clock.
What do ya know! It IS true what they say. It's just a number and a state of mind! I'm just as immature as ever and oh the possibilities the future holds because I can blame denial and justification on senility beings as I'm so 'old'.
You know, it really gripes me when I find out HERE that you've been suffering about something and you haven't told me about it, or given me a chance to slap you upside the head or take you shopping for shoes or ANYTHING. I could have told you that I felt the same way about 40. It just sounded different, and the shock was that ten years later, I'd be 50, which is how old I remember my very old, very girdle-wearing, taking your teeth out at night, popcorn-haired, neon polyester shirt wearing grandmother was.
ReplyDeleteBut you have discovered the secret - it's a blip. Just like dying is going to be a blip. (that was a sudden epiphany, actually - you wake up on the Other Side just the same person you were here.) You wake up on the first day of your 41st year on the planet (which is what your 40th birthday will be, and you are still you. Granted, as the years go on, the joints go stiff and we look stranger and stranger - but to people like us, who never liked what we saw in the mirror anyway, what the freaking heck significance does THAT have?
20 is silly and self important. 30 is frantic - the time of building things and having children, and choosing directions and working your tail off to get established. 40 has GRAVITAS. You're young enough to dance without heaviness, but old enough to be able to handle a room with dignity and authority. Well, I can do it with dignity - not sure you're there yet (smirk). Fifty is when you start to get pushed to the edges of the stage - not old enough to be the ancient voice of ultimate wisdom who doesn't have to change diapers for anyone under any circumstances because you can't sit on the floor anymore. Not young enough to be interesting to the people in mid stream (unless you're grading them or paying them). Sixty - hmmm. Starts to get a little quiet. At least for me.
You find out that a lot of stuff you thought was uber important wasn't. You start to see what things have real significance. Like the tide's going out, and you can see what was under all that frantic water the whole time.
So anyway, my dear Tigger. Happy Birthday, and I'll bring your present by and the money I owe you for the sale and we still have to go do something fun! (Why do I always feel like I've got a deadline coming up???)
Giggling. Gripes you? Gripe away!! Join the gripe party! You not knowing is proof that we do need to go and do something fun. It feels like a deadline because we are the type of people who fill our days with stuff and don't sit around bored to death!
DeleteYou've been busy my dear doing extremely important work for your family!! You are doing and where you're supposed to be right now. If I need you, you know I'll call. I always do. You get the whiny voice on the other end of the phone...... can you help me????
I did feel better when Grandpa Stone told me he struggled with 40 too. I figure I'm in good company then!
As far as dignity goes....... I doubt I'll ever have that. (smirk)
40 freaked me out--so I lost 55 lbs and ran my first 5K. Now I don't feel freaked out anymore . . . but sometimes the fact that I just turned 41 kind of freaks me out now.
ReplyDeleteMy mom threw herself a "funeral" for her 40th! I can't imagine doing that!
:) Running some sort of a race must be part of the fine print in the turning 40 contract.
DeleteWow!! 55 pounds! Way to go Anaise!!! That is a huge accomplishment! Losing weight at our stage of the game........ not like it used to be that is for sure!
Aw, shoot NO. No, no, no, there is NO running a race in the fine print of *my* 40s. Nuh unh. No way. I've read it thoroughly, magnifying glass and all. The only crazy wild thing that was there was to ride a green pony. And to buy some funky boots. That's it. I think.
DeleteI think there are several different turning 40 contracts with fine print. My sisters fine print said to buy a Mustang convertible. I think she stole my contract and switched hers with mine......
DeleteYou lasted 20 years more than me....turning 20 was my angst filled birthday...no longer a teenager! Yikes. But since then, the big 0 birthdays have just been a god excuse for a bigger party!
ReplyDeleteIf you made it through birthing all those babies without 'growing up', I think you are safe! Enjoy. :-)
At the age of 20 I was married and having babies so 20 for me wasn't bad. Isn't it funny how different numbers are harder or easier for different people?
Delete2 kids for me was a struggle. 3 kids, I was already overwhelmed. What was one more? For others, 2 is easy and 3 is when it gets overwhelming. I have to say after 2 I was already outnumbered and overwhelmed so adding one more and adding one more and adding one more....... no biggie.
I hope that is how it is with age. Now that I've had my breakdown I can move on until I hit 50. I know 50 is gonna be a hard one too. Why is that????
Yeah. 20 was harder for me than 40. All through my teens I thought 19 was THE age to be. I was really sad when it was over.
DeleteThat is so interesting to me. I wonder what made you think 19 was THE age. We are all so different. I love it!
DeleteNope 20 was the only one....all the rest I have loved! Each and every one. I can't believe you were married and having babies and I was only 1/2 way through college...such different paths to the same friendship....love that. Love you.
Delete:) I love you too! Bunches!
DeleteI have two more months to go before I enter the next decade, but I don't *think* it's bothering me too much. My children already think I'm old. My husband still thinks I'm pretty young! And I don't think a number is going to change either of those things. But 50--that may be another matter!
ReplyDeleteI didn't think it was bothering me either until the day loomed closer and closer and then was upon me. I'm with you on 50 though too. I think I'm doomed....... 40, 50, 60...... I just don't like this getting older stuff!!
DeleteSo they say. I wish someone would have given my body that memo!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteP.S. So what you are saying is as a whole, everyone is becoming less mature? I appreciate the nation giving me a chance to catch up in my maturity. Awfully nice of everyone.
ReplyDeleteIs it inappropriate to wish you a happy birthday? I mean, maybe the "happy" part was overshadowed by the perceived gravity of the number. Regardless, I'm wishing you your birthday wishes. And happiness.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, I'm kinda liking the 40s. There's a calm comfortable perspective in them. A cleansing breath.
Absolutely! Wish away!! It was a happy day and has been most happy ever since as I continue to justify my bad behavior due to being olderish.
DeleteThe funny thing is earlier before it was getting closer to the month of doomed 40, I was relishing the calm of turning 40 and being able to not give a care what people think anymore (hence short hair now) but then the day loomed and I realized I want both worlds. The don't care cuz I'm older world along with the still in her 30's can be immature world. Now I have to settle for I'm 40, don't care, and am still quite immature! I'm finding it's not a bad place to be! Shoot! I've watched Kristen live it for YEARS!!! (Oh she's gonna get me for that one, I can't wait! I've got my running shoes on grinning waiting).
Hee hee! I hope you've got your runners laced up in preparation.
DeleteI remember thinking in my younger years that I would age with grace. But then I aged. There was nothing graceful about it.
You're right. Nothing graceful about age. The only graceful thing about it is losing our hearing over time so we can't hear our bodies making 'noises' uninvited and lose our eyesight so we can't see what a mess we've become!
DeleteI'm glad you are just as immature now as you were a week ago.
ReplyDeleteLife started getting good at 40.
:) I'm glad too. I don't like change. Especially if the change has to come from me.
DeleteBe vewy, vewy careful....that Kristen must be sneaking up on you since she hasn't commented yet...
DeleteI'm sleeping with one eye open...........
DeleteI have always liked these milestone birthdays and have embraced them. We were camping with family on my 30th birthday. I stood on top of a picnic table and my MIL took my picture. I said, "Save that picture, because when I turn 40, I'm going to look even better than this." And I did. It's pretty much been downhill since then. In my 40th year, I colored my hair red (reddish), started cavorting with the neighbor on his ski boat (Just learning to water ski is all the cavorting I did), started working full time and traveling more. Started snow skiing again a few years later. I loved my 40s.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom told me to quit complaining about how I look because I will always look back and realize I shouldn't have complained because I looked better than I thought.
DeleteI have been away far too long and missed all of your wonderful news. Wish I'd popped by sooner and wished you HAPPY BIRTHDAY nearer to the actual day! Personally I've found that I quite like growing older - not so much the aches and pains that creep up on a person but the fact that I feel much less obligated to conform than I did as a teenager or in my 20s. I wear my grey hair with pride, my wrinkles with pleasure and am planning to be a contrary old bird who wears odd clothes and always has a ball of wool and a toffee in her pocket! Of course you will age more gracefully Rachel but I know that you will always be playful, spirited and determined no matter what your age. Love you Mrs and sorry I'm so late to wish you a very Happy Birthday xxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteYou've been busy Julie! Having you stop by and post and the lovely things you say is always a treasure and a gift to me. Thank you for the birthday wishes. I am trying to decide what I think of being 40. I can't seem to wrap my brain around it! The number doesn't match how I feel. On the other hand, as you said, it's nice knowing I'm reaching an age where I can 'not care' because I'm 40!!! :D There's nothing graceful about me so aging gracefully isn't in my future either but I do plan on taking the aging process by the horns and having a grand old ride out of it! :)
DeleteI love you too my dear kindred spirit and friend.
Lots of loves and xxxxxxx back atcha!
Because I can find the answer to anything on the Internet. :D
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