My 40th birthday happens to be today, July 9th, 2007. Being so close to a national holiday, I have deemed this the 40th of July.
Birthdays are a personal holiday, of sorts. I don't expect banks and business to close in my honor. I don't expect a magical day of discovery. To many, it is simply a Monday, but to me, it is a day to take a look at where I've been and where I want to go from here.
In my 40 years, I have been educated, though I have lost a few brain cells, and I have several experiences on which to reflect. I have been brave and humble. I have been right and wrong, clever and foolish. I have had days of glamor and days - er, months of no make-up, ponytails and comfy old clothes (babies will do that to a person).
I am still friends with people from my childhood, and connected to new friends as if I have known them all my life. I am healthy, physically fit (not model fit, just fit) and I am devoted to my life as wife and mother.
So, on this pinnacle day of personal insight, I see where I have been and now make a definitive choice about where it is I want to go.
I want stability, respect, adventure, more humor, less stress. I want the ability to help others as others have helped me. I want to travel more, show the world to my kids. I want to have romantic dates with my hard working husband (also in his 40's).
I want to become a role model of environmental efficiency. I want to raise my children in good conscience. I want to grow a lavish garden, and be in tune with wildlife. I want to acheive a balance of nature and technology. I want to be in tune with microscopic and cosmic universes, as I believe they are the key to understanding our universe.
Declaring what I want is easy. Attaining it is the challenge. There have obstacles in my way. Whether those obstacles have been intellectual, physical, financial or emotional, I now realize they are all things within in my control. I simply have to make the choice to focus on what I want, not what is stopping me from acheiving these.
Life can be satisfying or disappointing. With my new-found wisdom, I stand upon this platform on my 40th birthday and declare where I want to go from here. In taking my own advice on making good choices, I will approach the path to personal fullfillment with the ability to reduce every choice down to what is ultimately right or wrong, good or bad. It may take me a decade to decidedly acheive this personal satisfaction, but on this day, I begin anew.
HAPPY 40TH - WE LOVE YOU!