Turning 40

I wrote this as a kind of capsule before I turned 40 last October. Since then, I've revisited it a few times to see if life has changed much since the monumental, life-altering advancement into my 40th year. I'm pleased to say life has changed, not much, but enough, and in every way for the better - if you choose to look at it that way. I do. Hope you're enjoying yours as much as I am mine...

I have enjoyed sunny days; laughed out loud; read lots of books; eaten lots of spaghetti; cried to excess; made friends; made people mad; made people laugh; voted; loudly; been loud in general; been quiet; been healthy; been not; trudged through lots of snow; stood in the rain; walked in the rain; got wet; a lot; taken lots of buses and trains; been a student; been driven; driven others; drunk coffee; a few times; smoked; a few times; abstained when I needed to; exaggerated when I shouldn’t have; danced my ass off; worn high heels all night; paid for it; had faith; lost it; got it right back; dreamed; suffered; rejoiced; tripped; fallen; jumped right back up again; gotten sand in between my toes, in my hair and in my clothes; loved the beach anyway; said goodbye to my grandmother; not had a chance to say goodbye to others; helped build things up; helped take things down; cleaned; a lot; held hands; hugged; shrugged; gesticulated wildly; hurried; slowed down; not often enough; been a daughter; watched the Cubs; watched the Cubs unravel; loved them anyway too; gotten involved; gotten too involved; didn’t back off anyway; hurt people I loved; truly felt sorry for it; made promises I couldn’t keep; tried anyway; talked on the phone; lots; been a subordinate; been a boss; liked being a boss better; wrote my heart out on paper; edited it down a bit; not much really; been a bit full of myself; learned my lesson; got lost in thought; got lost in general; found my way; fought hard; lost and won; didn’t care how much; had money; had none; didn’t care much about that either; made babies; make that miracles; never understood why I was here; until then; fell in love for a lifetime; once.