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Original poster

Toughest Birthday You Faced/Dreaded?

29 replies

BoundaryGirl3939 · 09/04/2025 21:39

I turned 40 very recently. I'm surprised at how emotional and upset I felt. I don't know why. I wasn't sad but I felt confused by the fact that half my life was over. I also felt as though I hadn't achieved certain things in my life compared to my peers (even though these are not things I particularly want).

What was your worst birthday? Or the hardest milestone you had to face, and why?

OP posts:
Cattenberg · 09/04/2025 23:15

BoundaryGirl3939 · 09/04/2025 21:39

I turned 40 very recently. I'm surprised at how emotional and upset I felt. I don't know why. I wasn't sad but I felt confused by the fact that half my life was over. I also felt as though I hadn't achieved certain things in my life compared to my peers (even though these are not things I particularly want).

What was your worst birthday? Or the hardest milestone you had to face, and why?

I felt much the same about turning 40. I tried to remind myself that one of my grandmas made it to 95, and if she’d spent her 40th birthday feeling sad that half of her life was over, well wouldn’t that have been a waste of her time?

I’m 43 now, and whilst I don’t like seeing my age increase each year, turning 43 didn’t feel nearly as bad as turning 40.

Original poster
BoundaryGirl3939 · 09/04/2025 23:37

Wildywondrous · 09/04/2025 22:58

It's my 50th next month and it's the first birthday that I've had a wobble over, I think 50 is the first one that sounds old.
I also feel like it's the turning point in quality of life, I've noticed recently that my face is getting quite wrinkly, my joints hurt, my hair is dry, I now need to wear reading glasses and the ageing process is showing more than it ever has.
I don't think people change all that much in their 40's but it seems a huge jump physically between 50 and 60.

I've gone through the menopause so that may be part of it but looking nice takes a lot more effort nowadays, make up never looks right and when I go clothes shopping I don't know where I belong, I feel too old for some shops and too young for others.

Having said all that I do feel lucky to be alive and healthy, I've lost many people in my life who were younger than 50, one friend was 18 when she died so I do remind myself that I'm extremely fortunate to be 50.

I know what you mean. I feel as though I've aged so much in 18 months, and I'm only 40. I don't know where it came from. It can be hard to process the change.

OP posts:
HouseCaptain · 09/04/2025 23:43

I don’t want a pity party but I remember my 7th birthday very vividly. My parents made plans, argued all day, as soon we got home I told them that I didn’t feel very well and went to bed to escape.

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Events & celebrations
Auburngal · 10/04/2025 18:14

BoundaryGirl3939 · 09/04/2025 22:44

I understand now more than ever that some people get a raw deal when it comes to when their birthday falls. It is falls around Christmas time, it's an absolute nuisance 🤣 poor December babies

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I got joint birthday/Christmas presents. Yet my friends and relatives who have birthdays closer to Christmas got more presents. As a child, I probably didn't understand that the value of the presents were perhaps the same.

My late DGM's birthday was the same number of days before Christmas as mine is after Christmas. Guess who had the more stick? Me!

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