Just because of a birthday.

[mothernature]

I just thought I would share how I'm feeling at the moment with you, as the week progresses I have started to look back on life, the reason for this is on Sunday I reach the grand old age of 40 'the big 40' sigh, I remember clearly being 19 and just having met my husband to be and celebrating my 20th which I tried to convince everyone was actually my twenteenth..

I have travelled a long road since then and have started to appreciate life with all its ups and down's, I thank God for a healthy family, 3 wonderful children and a fantastic husband who puts up with all my woes, (the older I get the more I have..)

Why does it feel like only yesterday that life was full of adventure?, but now I feel as though the adventure is all but over? gone soon will be the chance to say I'm 'thirtysomething' when someone asks my age, (Not that many did!)

I watch my children from a distance I see they are now young adults, when I met my husband he was not much older than my eldest son, I can almost imagine history repeating itself through there lives, I sit and think what they will be like when they are married, have children of their own, will they come visit me often? will they just stay away as much as possible? so as not to let me interfere with their decission making, will they ever leave home?

All this because of a Birthday, life begins then so they say and if my life is anything to go by so far, then I must fasten my seat belt and hold on tight...

I'm going for a meal on Friday with friends from work and their partners, can you belive this will be my 'first' real party...we are having Thia so that should be good..anyone with any recommendations?

On the actual day the in-laws will come and celebrate too, Mil & Dil are brilliant, I love them to bits, I have known them longer now than my own parents who passed away a longtime ago, (this make me sad that they cannot share in the happiness of my family and they did not get a chance to meet them.)

Hopefully some of you will join me in the bar over the weekend and have a virtual drink with me.....

Mothernature, that is such a lovely post. I hope you have a wonderful birthday.

(I'm still thirtysomething....thirtyeleven )

what a lovely post mn! I hope you have a fantastic birthday

Thanks Kayleigh, I love the thirtyeleven I might try that one..

Goodness I am sitting here crying now - I am 30 this year and it scares the hell out of me.

You sound happy and fullfilled and loved - I hope I have at least some of your happiness over the next 10 years and you have a lovely birthday.

Alll our love

Twinkie & Family

Oh actaully am Twenty Ten not Thirty what am I saying!!

Agree, really warm thoughtful post, mothernature. You make sure you have a fantastic birthday and never stop appreciating what you have.

NDP
xxx

(formerly WSM)

What a wonderful post. I'd be more than delighted to join you in a virtual birthday drink.

Thank you ladies (curtseys deeply) the drinks will of course be on me...

I too will be 40 soon (next month) and like you as you put so magnificiently, have been looking back wondering where the past years have all gone. At 30 I was newly divorced from my exh whom I had spent all of my 20s with.

So things really could only have got better. And they did, I had a couple of years of manic partying catching up on all my lost opportunities in my 20's. I then met my now very DH and had two wonderful children. My career has gone well, despite all the juggling that children and career entail. I have the most wonderful friends that anyone could ever ask for. I am very happy - my 30's were a decade well lived.

So if they say life begins at 40 then boy am I going to be shocked

Happy birthday mothernature - here's to the future

Thanks soapbox, perhaps we can grow old together , maybe we should start a new topic, one for the four o's, I think I will write a list of things to do before I'm 50, I've always wanted to write, maybe put down some experience's of my life in a story, I enjoyed writing the poem on Janstars thread, but have not yet had the chance to alter it as suggested. Who knows what can happen....clink...cheers xx

What a wonderful and thought provoking post MN.

I too hope you have a wonderful birthday and an equally wonderful, warm and fullfilling 40th decade!
xx

ohh, yes what a lovely post. Did someone open a window or was that your post that gave me goosebumps?!

Have a wonderful birthday.

lots of love to you.

TC xx

Welcome to the wonderful world of 40 - somethings Mothernature, I'm quite experienced in it! (ie. old)

Brought tears to my eyes ladies. I wish you both a very happy birthday and may the future bring you much happiness.

BR

Mn - I'm thirty ten too (actually closer ot thirty eleven) , and you have put into words exactly how I felt on my birthday. It is a lovely post , - the adventure isn't over yet.

What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours...so the song goes, over the past week my husband has been getting progressively sicker, sore throat, bad cough etc...mind you he never usually gets anything, (Must be his age!) I thank him most sincerley, he has now past on this 'tangibocus' to me, I can hardly speak my throat is so sore..thank goodness I can type.. or no one would know what I wanted to say...

Our son, 14, came to our room as we went to bed last night, informing us 'he had been thinking' 'what if there was more than one Universe..., i.e parallel Universes, even time fractures, time going forward and backwards at the same time....Oh Lord...do they all go through this one? My son the thinker..lol Suprisingly I was never interested at school, perhaps I was never inspired the way he has been lately.

He has tried to write down his explanation of the whole thing in his excercise book, drawings and all, he was 'going to pass it on to one of his teachers', 'it will blow his mind' were his words, now don't get me wrong, he's not an extremely tallented boy with a high IQ, his teachers have said if he does try harder by doing just that little bit more then he should be 'ok' with his GCE's averaging grades of B's & C's.. oh well I'm not complaining just abit scared that he will get carried away with 'that thought'.

Anyway I'm still waiting for some recommendations for Thai food, preferably one that wil rid me of this sore - throat something I think with plenty of chillies....

Hi Mothernature and fellow Gemini !
what lovely thoughts.
It was my birthday yesterday and I'm confessing to being 46 (oh my GOD!!!!).
Some of you may have seen my previous postings. But it started of as the worst day of my life. My dh and I separated last tues. after I found out he had been seeing someone else for the second time. So this was going to be the first birthday in 21 years he hadn't been around + all the grief etc etc flying around. However my 2 little girls were wonderful. And then I decided he was NOT going to mess up my birthday. Several phone calls later to seven of my bestest friends - some who live a long way away - a trip to M&S for champagne and nibbles. Then my girls and I and my friends partied until midnight last night and had a fab time. And it was a school day the next day! and depite a bottle to myself havn't even got a hangover - there is a god! Cheers to you too mothernature you are inspirational.

Belated birthday wishes Mumski, glad to hear that you had a good time despite the sad things that have recently happend to you..'life' they say 'is an adventure' and it sounds as though you are at the begining of yours, fasten your seat belt hold on tight and let us know how you go..Love Mothernature xx

shameless bump

mothernature - lovely post - have a brilliant birthday

try red duck curry (the best ever thai thing) and pad thai (noodles with all kinds of yummies). I usually have a beef with broccoli to pretend I'm being healthy and some kind of lovely whole fish dish.

for starters, crab claws (ymm) or a selection of dipping snacks (you get a nice hot or sour dipping sauce) or Satay sticks

oh god I am starving now - be thinking of you - enjoy!

Thanks squirmyworm xx

I am another sayer for the red duck curry, it is sublime
Do not be disappointed life is a series of peaks and troughs
Too many peaks and we'd faint at the troughs... See self involved silver lining!!!
I am not future speculative at all, I struggle with even tomorrows plans...
Be blessed with what you have I guess...
What a sweet and thought provoking post in a lot of ways , thanks
xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOTHERNATURE!!

Happy happy birthday mothernature!

I shall be 43 next month, and there are many lovely things about being in ones 40s. My eldest child is nearly 15, and so can babysit which gives us a great deal of freedom to go out and relish each others' company as a couple. My ds will be starting the school nursery in September, and I now farm him out for several hours a week which gives me time to work doing things I like doing.

Being older has made me worry less about whether the kitchen floor is clean and the taps sparkling and more about whether we are feeling fulfilled enough and spending enough hours a week pursuing our dreams.

People come and go in your life, you don't have your parents but you do have your terrific in-laws. We have had to deal with dh's parents totally rejecting us, complete breakdown of the relationship. But we grieved and got over it, and appreciate and enjoy cousins, brother, sister, dad, and their families and the gorgeous elderly couple who live next door.

My relationship with my best friend has deepened and matured over the years since we met when I was in my 20s. She is always there for me and I for her, and that is a wonderful thing to have.

I like being in my 40s - my dh still makes me feel desirable, I have more time to spend on doing my nails and hair, etc than ever before. I look forward to being in our 50s when dh can retire and we can spend all day together.

Have a lovely lovely day and welcome to the 40s.