40 by 40. Happy Birthday to Me.

In this last hour of my 30s, I reflect on the last six months. Changes in my health, aging, realizing things (still) made me reach for the goal of losing 40 pounds by my 40th birthday. I was able to reach half of that goal, and the younger me would have spent the rest of the week beating herself up over this perceived failure and eating fries and chocolate and perhaps fries dipped in chocolate, but the older, wiser me, with rickety knees and a bum right shoulder looks at losing 20 lbs. as a battle half won.

Turning 40 is both an honor and a terror.

I am looking forward to celebrating my birthday with my daughter, who turns 6, 6 days after me. We are celebrating with a Wonder Woman theme, mainly my idea.

So, as I enter into my next decade. I realize that I’m still learning and growing and evolving. This, I know, never ends. My mother, in her 60s, proves this to me everyday. She continues to reach for new goals and achieve new things.

I’m a better version of myself, even if parts of me need to be warmed up and stretched out to prevent injury.

Here’s to 40!