Well, as bad as 30 was for some folks, many of the women I know really freaked out when their 40th birthday approached.
Aging has never even given me pause for thought. Gray hair? Wrinkles? Bring 'em on; I've earned them.
I decided, long ago, to help cherished loved ones truly celebrate their big birthdays. My efforts, outside of my own family, have been directed at my women friends. I've tailored 40th birthday gifts for each individual, but I've always included something to help remind them to stay in touch with their inner child. This post isn't about that though.
This post is just a poem I wrote for the birthday card of someone dear to me when she turned forty.
May Forty is excerpted from, "Present In The Moment", a collection of poetry by Paula A Thoms, copyright 1999.
May Forty
May “forty” be like Mona Lisa’s smile,
a private realization all your own;
not an age, but attitude and style,
a time to live the truth that’s yours alone.
Your runway phase is done, or else it’s ending.
You now have footprints and the sky above.
May “forty” grant the gift of comprehending
who fills your life with limits, laughs, and love.
