Do you recall the excitement of hitting the midpoint of the year as a child, finally able to add “…and a half” to your age? When was the last time you experienced that joy?
I turned 40 two years ago, and I embraced it wholeheartedly. In fact, I was more than just okay with it. Like many people in their midlife, I decided to seize the moment. I took up running as a personal gift, and while I won’t bore you with my pace or distances, I surpassed my own expectations. I also began therapy, delving deeper into my thoughts and feelings than ever before. Oh, and I even got my first tattoo.
I wanted to share this journey, too. “Lordy, Lordy…” I posted on social media, as is tradition, and enjoyed the flood of kind messages throughout the day. Contrary to what popular culture might suggest, I didn’t feel old—not even a little bit—and I certainly didn’t look old either.
As I browsed through updates from old high school and college friends, I noticed a surprising trend: very few of us appeared to be aging in the traditional sense (okay, not everyone, but most of us looked pretty good). It dawned on me that my generation is actively reshaping the narrative around middle age. Forget about the dreary stereotypes of turning 40, complete with black balloons and “Over the Hill” signs. “Forty is the new 30,” one friend said that day, and I was ready to believe it.
However, over the next year, I began to observe something unsettling. Many of my peers started to erase visible traces of their true ages from social media. Specific birthdates vanished, and references to graduation years were conveniently omitted. Their nostalgic throwback posts shifted from “Can you believe this was 19 years ago?” to vague statements like “Can you believe this event happened at some time in the past?” It felt as though we were crossing an invisible threshold between “youthful” and “uncomfortably old,” and I couldn’t quite grasp why.
“We are vibrant, accomplished, and attractive!” I would cheer internally (and sometimes externally) to my friends online. Age may be just a number, but it represents a journey that deserves recognition rather than embarrassment. This heart of mine, once a mere flicker on an ultrasound image, has been beating for over four decades. In that time, I’ve navigated the chaos of childbirth, survived awkward hairstyles, endured hurricanes, and faced the trials of life with resilience. I’ve embraced the wild ride of parenting, endured the challenges of moving numerous times, and confronted heartbreak. My childhood was marked by a lack of safety gear—no seatbelts or bike helmets—and yet I stand upright today, having survived two car accidents and plenty of life lessons.
I have friends who have achieved incredible feats: scaling mountains, authoring bestsellers, overcoming adversity, climbing the corporate ladder, nurturing exceptional children, and even launching their own nonprofits. These accomplishments require immense energy, ambition, and time—years, in fact. The evidence is right there on their driver’s licenses, though they might hesitate to share that information.
I’m not immune to the pressures of societal expectations. Last year, feeling the weight of peer influence, I concealed my birthdate on social media out of fear of being the lone public 41-year-old. Yet, there was something troubling about removing “1973” from my profile. Was I ashamed of my birth year? Not at all. Did I wish I could erase a few years? Not really. Would I trade my current age for my 30s? Absolutely not.
Sure, I’m not thrilled with every aspect of aging. My carefree days of sporadic hair dyeing are fading, and I’m not particularly fond of the deepening laugh lines. But thank goodness they’re here and growing deeper. Those laugh lines are the result of living fully: laughing, learning, making mistakes, and loving for 42 years—well, 42 and a half, to be exact.
So let’s embrace our ages and celebrate them, loudly and proudly, complete with old Polaroids of questionable hairstyles as our badge of honor.
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Summary
This article encourages individuals over 40 to embrace their age with pride rather than shame. It highlights the incredible experiences and accomplishments that come with decades of life and challenges the societal pressures that lead many to hide their age. Ultimately, it advocates for celebrating the journey of aging, complete with all the memories and lessons learned along the way.