Now That I'm 40 (plus)

This isn't my birthday. That's in April. Nor will it be a particularly landmarky birthday (43).

But this blog post (hat-tip to Adrienne) seems timely to me right now. I don't know why, but I seem to be in a pendulum-swing mental state lately -- oscillating between "It sucks to be getting old" and "This is a great hunk of life to be living." Plus ... there's the whole new-year-relecting stuff that happens.

So ...  in order to focus more on the positive ... here is a bunch of

Great Stuff About Being 40 (plus) That I Didn't Know or Couldn't Do at 20

1. I know how to dress for my body.
2. And have a hairstyle that suits both my features and my lifestyle.
3. I can cook. Really quite well. Even when there's "nothing in this house."
4. I have grown up.
5. My amazing kids
6. Running 3 miles, walking 60 miles, driving 1800 miles: knowing I can even if I think I can't (or don't want to)
7. Discovering acting, stage management, theatre
8. My wonderful dog
9. Understanding that my worth is not determined by others, especially men, especially based on my looks.
10. Knitting
11. Being married -- learning how to be a wife, lover, partner, confidante, buddy
12. Renewing my relationship with my brother
13. Teaching, finishing my Master's -- working toward a calling, rather than a job
14. Female friendships
15. Travel
16. Finally learning how to look good in a photo
17. The ability to plan, host and pay for a great party
18. Contact lenses
19.  Letting go of deep-seated insecurity and fear
20. Trusting my own opinion
21. My kids ... cannot say this enough times
22. Discovering makeup and dangly earrings
23. Doing my own taxes
24. Knowing how to complain effectively, especially to authority
25. How to drink safely
26. Patience
27. Social confidence in any situation
28. Learning when it's worth it to cry and when it's not
29. Being ok with not being liked by everyone
30. Knowing how to wear heels
31. Having enough resiliency to know that heartbreak never leaves us, but that life goes on and gets better anyway.
32. Understanding the difference between healthy and thin
33. The white streak in my hair
34. An awareness of the quality of the media I'm consuming
35. Knowing keyboard shortcuts
36. Sex is neither the be-all nor the end-all, nor is it embarrassing
37. No one really cares what your GPA or class rank was
38. Pretending to be someone else is a hobby, not a cover-up
39. In the real world, it's good to be a nerd.
40. Putting up as many holiday decorations as you want because you own the property
41. There are many kinds of normal
42. I am strong
43. But it's also OK to be weak and to let others help

--End--