In a few hours I'll be 40. I had hoped to be graceful about it. I appear to be less and less graceful as the minutes tick by. I am not sure why I care - 39 was a less than stellar year and I am more than fine leaving it in my dust. And everyone says 40 is the new 30. I'm just not feelin' it.
So to distract myself, here are my favorite ages from the past 4 decades...one from each decade...
Age 3: By all accounts from others, I was pretty stinkin' cute at age 3. I remember actually being baptized (we moved a month before I was born...it took a while to find and get in the groove of a church..I walked up to the font on my own two feet.). And I was still small enough to crawl in my daddy's lap while he sat in his big black recliner. There was no problem so big that was not fixed by some time in the chair.
Age 17: this covers most of Senior year of high school - an incredible year all around spent with great people, memories of which still make me chuckle out loud. Perhaps too loud, LOL!. Not yet a legal adult - so almost free but not totally responsible for myself. Excited and optimistic for the future. Really - I felt fairly invincible. Except for that time I wrecked my car....time in the chair could not fix that one.
Age 26: ah, the honeymoon phase...literally. Living as newly weds with my best friend, an incredible man who still puts up with me after 15 years of wedded bliss (in 4 days). To think that was still only the beginning of our journey! We came home from work to our little apartment and took "news naps" before leisurely making dinner. How? No Kim or Nic yet. Not yet bearing the responsibility of another human life. Totally absorbed in us and our dreams.
Age 37: an odd assortment of reasons why this age stands out for me - survival of a stressful time where we came out stronger than we went in; in the best physical shape of my life (even ran a half marathon); a time of incredible spiritual growth. Past the stage of babies and toddlers (which I loved and wouldn't trade for anything - but it's down right exhausting). Everything just clicked. It was a time for new dreams - but not yet feeling that it was so urgent to achieve them.
So, here we are. Forty Schmorty. Perhaps it's not bad to be a bit reflective. I have lived an incredibly blessed existence. It has not been without challenges, but they have formed me and strengthened my faith each step of the way. Which, I guess, is why as much as 40 makes me sigh tonight, I will go on faith that I''ll wake up tomorrow ready to make it the best decade yet! Bring it on!
