Fifteen years ago, I had a mid-life crisis at the ripe old age of 24. I had just got engaged and I had a great job, and dudes, I drove a Ford Taurus. Things should have been rosy.
The crisis came just two weeks after my engagement when I turned 25. I hated turning 25. Something about turning a quarter of a century made me feel as if I couldn’t act like a kid anymore.
But you know what? I found that wasn’t the case at all. I still ride roller coasters, I am trying to get my co-workers to join me in the creation of a skipping club and yesterday I wore my hair in pigtails. Okay, it was just because my daughter said I was too old to wear pigtails and I live to embarrass her…but, still, I totally wore them.
If I had known then what I know now I would have embraced 25. Shoot, I would have made out with 25. And, like a friend of mine always says, had I known what would happen to my body I would have walked around in a bikini everywhere I went.
Next week I turn 40 and I’ve been feeling another mid-life crisis coming on. Only this is a real mid-life crisis, because now I’m actually mid-life. That’s mid-life, if I’m lucky. This crisis isn’t about whether I can act like a kid, but about the fact that 15 years ago I was turning 25 and that 15 years from now I will be turning 55. FIFTY-FIVE.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. You know…if YOU are 55.
I really shouldn’t mind because my life is in a great place right now. Three days before my 40th birthday, I start working full-time at a job I love. Some people can’t say that their entire lives and I’m only halfway through mine. Remember, that’s if I’m lucky.
My health is good. If you don’t count insomnia and 40 extra pounds. Really. Don’t count it.
I have a great family, live in a good neighborhood, have two sweet dogs, have fantastic friends and am part of amazing communities at the kids’ school and our church. I am blessed.
But turning 40 really stinks and I’m going to whine about it until I’m blue in the face.
Because, clearly, age and maturity are two very different things.
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Melisa
Psst…40 isn’t that bad.
Miss Britt
I don’t think you look 40.
At least, you don’t look like what I thought 40 would look like when I was too young to know anyone who was 40.
Momo Fali
I love you, Britt.
unmitigated me
Pushing 50 here, and except for the freaking hot flashes…it’s not that bad. I didn’t mind turning 40. I had a minor melt-down at 41, though, because it meant I was “in my forties.” Somehow, 40 itself didn’t qualify for that umbrella.
MidLyfeMama
For the longest time, while in childhood, I would think how wonderful being in my 30s or 40s would be. No one else in charge of my life but me. I wouldn’t care what other people thought about me, I wouldn’t be expected to live by anyone elses standards but my own. Little did I know that some of that petty shit follows you through life and people have something to say about how you live your life no matter how old you are. But still. I am so happy to be in my 40s. The knees complain more, the stomach is not flat, but I am living my life on my terms, with a man I love, with a child I didn’t expect to have, and it is good. So HUZZAH! for 40! Some of the best things that have happened to me have come after 40. Can’t imagine what the next 40 years will bring.
Leila
Embrace it, sweetie. You have no choice. Dont think about 55 til it gets here…plenty of time to be horrified at how much MORE you will decompose.
Momo Fali
Ha! Thanks, Leila. I think?
wanda
This is so cute! I totally understand. I’m past ya on the 40. It can be pretty depessing if you think on it (like life’s almost over). Most of us feel like this. Especially when your kids get to college. You’ll see that you aren’t NEAR DEATH and that you’ve got a lot of fun left to have. Then you get over the whole # thing!
PS
Your stories about your son are a hoot! Love boys! They don’t hold back!
meleah rebeccah
You don’t look a day over 35, my friend. And I hear turning 40 is pretty awesome.
Kathy
You’re so beautiful, Momo! Most women would kill to look like you at 40.
I’m 45 and just started really living when I turned 40. It’s when I discovered my calling was writing and started to put it to good use. Nothin’ wrong with 40, honey. Nothing.
Sandy Davis
No kidding, Diane, you will find your 40’s are the best years of your life!!
Wenderly
Happy (early) Birthday Di! Welcome to the *FABULOUS 40* club! It just means that we can officially do what we want, say what we want, wear what we want and blame it on everything ELSE! *snort*
And by the way. You wear it well sweets.
Tracy
40 has been more awesome and transformational than I ever imagined. One of the hardest, but absolute best years of my life. Welcome, lady!
Schmutzie
I had a mid-life crisis at 25, too. I was freaked out. I’m way more relaxed about heading toward 40, but you’re right, time goes too damn fast.
Also? I’ve met you, and I had no idea that were anywhere near 40. Fork over your secrets, lady.
Irene
I feel your pain – the 25 thing is called a quarter life crisis and I know this because I went through it. I turned 40 in January. But, it’s not so bad because I’m too tired and too busy with other crap to remember I’m 40 (I’ve been told that is the first to go).
Michael Byrd
I’ve made it all the way to 41 and you have a WAY better attitude than me so you’ll do just fine.
Abby
I pushed my wedding to the beginning of June last year because I had to have it before my 26th birthday. For some reason that seemed really important. Now I’m just over a week away from 27 and pushing the date forward seems silly. Oh well!
Jenna
Yep, I’m turning 28 this weekend and already the changes in my body are afoot . . . so maybe I should take your advice to heart and prance around in a bikini starting tomorrow.
Oops, I briefly forgot that right after turning 26, cellulite decided to start completely encasing my thighs . . . so never mind! I guess I missed my chance at 25 as well. =)
Heather
Enjoy your birthday. I hope it’s a good one.
Melissa
I like 40…it just seems to be 41 that I’m not thinking to much of…can’t kid yourself anymore once you pass 40! Enjoy your birthday! 🙂
crayon
The forties are fun! I remember my friend and I bemoaning how we looked in our photos from our 40th birthday trip but then said that on our 50th we’d look back and think we were adorable so we try to “embrace the current adorable”!
UP
Fist of all, happy birthday.
Secondly, you don’t look 40, you look greaty.
Thirdly, on my 40th birthday #$@%^** yeas ago, I was robbed at knife-point while walking into my hotel room. I was project managing a job for a Sherrif’s department, and was staying at a hotel across the street from the HQ…can you say IRONY?
UP
UP
Crap, FIRST of all, not FIST of all.
UP
Jen
Hi. I am now 42. Turning 40 was AWESOME!!! I have a minor midlife crisis when I turned 40. Really it was just a wake up call to my life… accepting and/or changing the bad, embracing the good & moving on. When realized that I no longer needed to listen to anyone if i didn’t want to; my life, my choices.
Happy birthday.
always home and uncool
40 sucks until you think back on some of the stupid things you did when you were younger and you realize just how lucky you are to have made it this far.
Happy day, Momo.
Jamie
Hope you had a great birthday.
Sandy
I had the same problem a couple of years ago when I hit 60. When I was 40, I met my (current) husband and started the best time of my life. He’s still here, but turning 60 was H**L. Still is.
AlisonH
My dad started turning gray at 14. That is not dyslexic typing. 14. I was the last in my family to start to, mid-20’s.
So at 44, I looked around me and decided that what I thought made women tend to look older was that in their 40’s their hair started getting shorter and shorter. The Big Bang theory, reaching in an orbit around the head. So I let mine go gray and grew it out.
I love it. It’s so me. So that’s what I’m doing to clear the way a dozen years a-head for you.