So today is my birthday.
I’m forty-one.
Which probably explains why I can’t get the lyrics to Delta Dawn out of my head.
Except my daddy doesn’t still call me baby. He usually calls me “Mel”.
I debated not mentioning that today is my birthday but then I had to accept that’s not really who I am. And even if I resisted mentioning it today, I wouldn’t be able to help myself and tomorrow’s post would begin, “Yesterday was my birthday”.
Honestly, I thought I might feel a little down about it. I mean, after all, I’m forty-one. Which means I am officially in my forties as opposed to just being forty.
Here’s a question. How am I in my forties? And why does the word “forty” all of a sudden look weird to me?
Because the thing is I still feel about twenty-two except hopefully a little smarter. But then I look in the mirror and realize I have some wrinkles around my eyes that don’t really go away even when I’m done smiling. And some gray hairs around my temple that are becoming too numerous to just pluck out lest I go bald.
(Note to self: Call and make hair appointment immediately.)
But when I look back on the last year I have to admit that my entrance into my forties was good to me. This past year I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with friends I love, family I adore, written a book that’s actually going to be published, thrown up in front of Ann Voskamp on a bus in Ecuador, and watched the sun set over the Amazon River. Three of those are things I never could have imagined in a million years. I’ll let you guess which ones.
And so I don’t really don’t mind being another year older and I’ll choose to believe it means I’m also another year wiser. As evidenced by the fact that we got home from the road trip on Sunday and I immediately began doing laundry and making a grocery store list so I could get it all out of the way because who wants to grocery shop on their birthday?
Not me. That’s who.
God has been good to me this year and I give him all the glory for it. It’s more than I deserve. And I know life will bring struggles soon enough because that’s what life does. And so I want to appreciate the good and the easy and the laughter and mark it as a stone of remembrance for this season.
So here’s to the forties. May they be forgiving of my sun-damaged past.