Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday, and not just any birthday. Today is one of those great birthdays that end with a zero and therefore give one a sense that time is marching on. I have to admit, though I’d rather not, that I am a little surprised to find myself this old. I know it’s a cliché, but it really does seem like I just turned 30 yesterday.

On the other hand, I do believe that there are some really positive things about being forty that are often overlooked. So that’s what I am choosing to focus on.

I Am Better

I have finally come to the realization that I don’t have all the answers. However, I now also have enough life experience to be able to ask the right questions, and know where I can find good answers.

I am also taking better care of myself. Over the past few months I have finally shed the rest of my post-pregnancy weight. I have also started exercising regularly and am even beginning to enjoy it. Finally, I am actually using some of the anti-aging skin care products I’ve been saying I needed to try for years. I will admit, the first time I actually went online to buy Zeolite, I wondered if I really knew what I was doing. However, I have been extremely well pleased about how it makes me feel on both the inside and the outside.

My Relationships Are Better

Another great thing about being forty is that I have a better class of friends. For most of my life, my friends have not been so much of my own choosing as people I have been thrown in contact with. This was especially true in high school and college, but continued into my early working days. I met and mingled with people just because they were there.

Today, I feel more comfortable seeking out people I have something in common with, even if it means joining a mom’s group or taking a pottery class. I am also secure enough in who I am to let go of friendships that I realize are not healthy. This is a far cry from how I felt in my twenties, when I was still trying to figure out my own identity.

Speaking of which, I think I am finally getting to know myself as me, instead of just as a daughter, wife or mother. Don’t get me wrong. I am well aware that all those aspects of my life mold and shape who I am. However, they are just the mold. They are not my very essence. This also means that I am not as afraid of what will happen as those relationships change.

For instance, while I am still a daughter, I am also becoming more of a caretaker, too, to my parents. There was a time when that level of change would have terrified me. Now, however, I can except that it is part of my journey, and, in its own way, wonderful, too.

About the Author

Melissa Cameron, who is married with two children, lives in Austin, Texas next to her elderly parents. Melissa leads a full life that includes a productive career as a freelance writer and spending time with her extended family. She loves writing about various subjects including parenting, local history and living a frugal life. She also enjoys searching the Internet for bargains and researching ideas for articles.