Life Begins at 40

As a child, the world seems endless; the days are long and never seem to go by fast enough. “I can’t wait till I’m an adult” was my mantra as a teenager. Mortality never seemed to be of great importance, for I was invincible. I remember the summer months seemed to last forever, so much time to laugh and play.

Fast forward, I just turned 40 years old. Where did the last 20 years go? Although I don’t feel 40, I do have a sense that time is passing at a much quicker pace. Is it that as an adult we look at the calendar more often than when we were children? Whatever it is, I want time to slow down! I’ve realized that the only way to do that is to slow myself down. By the end of each day, I feel like I’ve run a marathon, exhausted from all the tasks I’ve completed.


Life is not a race; the first one to finish is not the winner. At 40 I realize that it is time for me to savor the moments life offers. I got off to a good start, celebrating my birthday in Big Bear. Taking morning walks, breathing in the fresh crisp air, and admiring the earths beauty. It was a great beginning, since as the say “Life begins at 40.”

Enjoy every moment, hug your children a little longer, give a million kisses, smell the flowers and the earth, read a novel, enjoy a symphony concert, travel the world, volunteer your time to the needy, or take a long drive. Whatever it is you do, do it with passion and gratitude, for happiness is not promised and neither is living a long life.