Facing Forty

Forty, wow, I’m turning Forty! How did that happen?
There are days when I feel like I should still be in my twenties. I’m spry, adventurous, ready to take on the world. Then there are days when the mileage is more than the years and I feel like an old lady. My knees are sore, I’m cranky, things don’t stay up and perky like they used to. Those are not my favorite days.

I think what really blows my mind is thinking back to when I was a child and people who were forty were ancient. Did people really live that long? Geesh! Now, here I am, and, while I certainly feel my age some days, I don’t feel ancient.

Right now, I’m thinking about my grandmother. She’s NEVER been her age. She turned 40 for the fifty-sixth time last year. Yes, you read that right, she’s 96. To her, age has always been just a number, nothing more. You are only as old as you feel, as you let yourself be. She and my grandfather (now 97) have both been very active. They have laughed in the face of old age and lived each day learning and thriving. Yes, they are slower, but they are still vital. It’s funny, I worry about forty and yet when I hear someone is seventy I think – you’re still young. My grandparents are 26 years older than you are!

Am I old? Nah… Not really. More settled, that’s for sure. Age has certainly put things more in perspective – God, family, friends, work, life in general are all more rich than they were in my twenties. The drama is irrelevant, my looks are what they are, and life is about a daily journey , not a race to the next milestone.

Maybe 40 isn’t so bad. After all, it’s just a number. Next year, when I turn forty for the second time – I’ll remember Grandma. I’ll go learn something new, smell the flowers, hug my kids and celebrate God giving me one more year of life.