My friend turns 40 next Tuesday, she’s got a 3.5 year old, a 1 year old, and is due next Thursday and her house is being remodelled and she runs her own company. Wow, is all i can ever say to her. I took her to lunch and got her a hand and foot massage and it didn’t seem like enough to do for her. She can’t really enjoy her 40th like she’d like to because of all that is going on in her life.
I told her my 40th sucked. I don’t know why – I felt young before 40 and then I hated turning 40. 45 was better, it was 40 I just didn’t cotton to. At 40, I felt like my options for a having a baby were closing down on me. Sure enough I spent the next two years proving that right by miscarrying 10 times. So I told her that being pregnant at 40 wasn’t as bad as she thinks.
Another friend saw us at the restaurant and came and sat with us. She said that she loved turning 40, but she didn’t like turning 50. She felt old. I said all the women I know who have turned 50 put on a grand celebration for themselves and enjoyed the hell out of it. I hope I do the same.
She is now approaching 60 and she said the problem with aging is that you become invisible. That you are irrelevant to people in their 20s. I said, ha, people in their 20s are irrelevant to me.
But I do understand the invisible part. It’s almost like you are a picture and you begin to fade and fade with each 0 birthday.