I celebrated my 18th wedding anniversary and 40th birthday this week while the world wept. Sorrow still clings, but life goes on.
I hate that it does sometimes. It seems like time should stand still, school should be canceled, and jobs abandoned with the loss of such innocence. And women who are too young to turn 40, don’t.
Life continues, but we are never the same. Armed policemen frequent my kids’ schools, my children’s questions have gotten harder and my answers, fewer. With unprecedented tragedy that shakes a nation, we hold our babies closer, we beseech God more and sadness mingles with joy this sacred season.
I’ve learned a lot in my journey and I still have much more to grasp. 40 things I’ve learned in 40 years:
- Getting bangs makes you feel 35
- And makes you *think* you’ve lost 5 pounds
- Parenting gets harder
- Marriage gets hotter
- I will struggle until I die
- The sadness in our world makes me long for His Kingdom on earth
- The “baby” weight is just called weight after 40
- Going with your twin sister to get a nose ring on a Thursday night at 8pm will make you feel 40 years old
- Backing out, even older
- I will always be old to my kids
- But never too old to believe in things I can’t see
- I will always have a frequent shopper card to the emergency room (product of being in THAT family)
- It’s okay to pass up a good deal if you don’t need anything
- It’s good to break rules every once in awhile
- I will never catch up on laundry
- I’m okay with never catching up on laundry
- Life’s too short not to say I’m sorry
- The urge to have another baby will pass (hopefully)
- 40 is a good year to get a puppy (hint, hint, honey)
- Sweet tea catches up with you
- Asking your hubby for an exercise bike for your birthday will put him in a pickle (he got me sassy boots instead)
- I just don’t have time for everything (I’m looking at you Twitter)
- Age brings freedom: I just don’t care about some things any more
- Having a slew of 20 and 30-something moms ask you for parenting advice will humble you every day
- Related: I still don’t know what I’m doing
- I need God more today than I did yesterday
- And also chocolate
- Babies grow up too fast
- Then one day they are smarter than you and they know it
- Never let them in on this knowledge
- Write even when no one reads
- It’s okay to believe you are beautiful
- And It’s okay for your beauty to have nothing to do with the way you look
- There’s no shame in being yourself
- God is full of good surprises (yesterday I got one for Mercy House that floored me!)
- To be absent from the body, is to be present with Jesus
- Be happy–dream big, live scared, this is it
- Be kind to others.
- Be good to yourself.
- Evil will never win
HI! I'm Kristen. I'm here to encourage you as a wife and mom and remind you there's a little bit of THAT family in all of us. I write 
Happy birthday! Your writing is such a blessing to me!
This is such a great list!
PS…I was SO relieved to read #9.
PPS…HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
PPPS…that “weight”? It plumps wrinkles. Don’t tell me otherwise.
Happy birthday Kristen and happy anniversary. Welcome to the 40′s, they really are great years. I smiled and related to so many things on your list.
Happy Birthday! Thank you for being a blessing to me!
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!
well, i love this list. and somehow i missed that you have a twin (i know, i know, it means i’m a sporadic reader….) i have a twin, too and she is my best friend and we would giggle and chicken out of nose rings too but it would be one of our favorite nights ever.
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! I love your list, it made me smile!
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! Keep writing!
I need to accept #5. I’m not going to wake up one day and it will be magically easier. It might not always be the same struggle, but it will never be easy. And apparently I need to get bangs.
I can’t even tell you how much I love this!!! Some of these I have learned… some I’m still learning. Hope you had a great birthday.
blessings,
Melanie
Love this…great list and thoughts. Nice to meet you! Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Um, happy “end of the world day” (tomorrow and all the other times it is supposed to happen and was supposed to happen yaddayaddayadda) and more so Happy Anniversary!
Happy birthday and anniversary! I don’t comment much, but always read. You are doing amazing things!
I love #31 the most…write even if no one reads! Great advice. Because someone, somewhere will always read it. =) Merriest of happy New Years!
Happy celebrating to you. I wonder what will be on my list when I turn 40?
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! God has blesses you with being real and down to earth and thats something special! Thank you for being yourself
Love it
Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!
From an old one too
Love your list! I turned 40 yrs last year and celebrated 18 yrs of marriage this year. I can relate to your 40 things!
Happy Birthday & Anniversary, and thank you for this list! I am looking forward to growing in wisdom and true beauty.
Happy Birthday! and thank your for this blog : )
I adore this list!!!! I just celebrated my 39th birthday a few weeks ago and decided to write down 39 things I want to do before I turn 40 and then do them! I love the idea of this too and may just need to do this myself next year. I especially like #24 and 25.
Happy Birthday (& Anniversary) Kristen!
Please keep writing!
Happy birthday! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog; may the Lord bless you.
I know this is presumptuous, but I feel the need to say: maybe the urge to have another baby is from God. Perhaps He has plans to reward you (Ps. 127: 3).
#36 gave me goosebumps. So true. Happy birthday!
Happy Birthday! Happy Wedding Day!
Your writing makes me happy–
Be Blessed.
Well said. Forty brought a lot of inner freedom to me as well. I am so grateful for the years the Lord has given me. Thank you for your blog and for your ministry. Yours is one of the few blogs I still read. Partly because you are a Texan and I can relate at that level, but mostly because you are real and honest, qualities that I greatly admire. Thank you.
Happy everything!
I’m close to 40, but I could have the same list right now! I love #37: Be happy–dream big, live scared, this is it
Amen, and amen!
Happy birthday and anniversary! Thank you for speaking what I am thinking at times but just don’t say!
I just love this!! Happy Birthday Happy Anniversary to You!!! Thank you for your blog. I truly enjoy it!
Love love love this post; maybe my favorite ever! you must include this in your NEXT BOOK! (hint, hint)