Turning 40: Cause for Deep Inner Reflection....and knitting!

I don’t mind being 40.  Truth of the matter is that I never even remember how old I am most of the time because, frankly, I don’t care.  Back when I was 32 I was deep in thought how I was ‘almost 40.’  I thought about it so hard that I actually thought I WAS 40.  At the doctor’s office, he asked how old I was, when I told him I was 40 he gave me a math lesson.  I lost 8 years that day.  I didn’t feel any different.  I was the same me I was leaving the office as I was coming in. 

I don’t mind being 40 because I almost wasn’t 21.  A lucky break with a cheap in-school physical alerted us to the fact that I’d need heart surgery if I wanted to make it to 21.  So really, I guess every breath I take after that birthday is just a heaven sent gift that some random stranger with a stethoscope decided to not let me pass a physical-first test I ever failed!

I don’t mind being 40 because I spent so much of my childhood wishing I was dead that I feel that I need to be thankful to my inner strength for getting me this far.  I can’t thank myself by wishing for something that cannot be.  I can thank myself by being grateful for every single thing I have.

I don’t mind that being 40 means I actually have to work out a lot harder than I did when I was younger to fit into my pants.  Sure, it is a little more work-but with more work comes great pride and self-respect and those two things are priceless.  No matter how much I work out, my legs will never be as nice as they were when I was 20-I’m OK with that…because I am sure they look better now than they will when I am 102!

I don’t mind that being 40 means I have to actually pluck disgusting hairs on my upper lip.  Totally gross.  I’m horrified that nature does this to us.  It’s just something I have to do now, and it is annoying as all hell, but in the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t high on the list of things that will destroy your life.

I’m so glad that I am 40-I have learned so many things over the years-things that I would have killed to know back when I was 20….

•     A sports bra is the most comfortable item of clothing-and it actually looks good underneath clothes!
•     The color nude, although hideous, is an imperative color of bra if you wish to wear a light top and not have your bra show through!
•         It is nearly impossible to be unhappy when you wear flowers in your hair!
•     Cigarettes do not make you happy-they make you wrinkly and old.
•       No matter how bad you think you have it, there is always someone that has it worse-so smile for what you have today because it could be gone tomorrow.
•     Chickens.  Yes, that is a full statement.  Any ‘why’ question can be answered with:  Because chickens.
•     Wearing a stupid hat on your head can mean the difference between a life of boredom and a life of giggles.
•      It's OK to compete with yourself.  I try to one-up myself every chance I get.  I try to knit something better than I did yesterday and I try to make a better Halloween costume every year.  If you can't be your best competition-what's the point?

I can’t wait to find out what I will have learned by the time I am 80!