AT HOPE & MAIN: PIN TURNS 40 INTO BADGE OF HONOR

So I'm turning 40 in three days and what's it to you? Since everyone else wants to enjoy this fact of my life, I suppose I'll go along with it.

My older brother sent me a pin that identifies my age, I guess just in case I forget. A name badge might have been more appropriate. However, I plan on wearing it as a badge of honor, on my birthday, just because. My older sister gets an award for her card. She sent a "Happy Mother's Day to my sister" card. Down at the bottom where she signed it was a little note: "This was supposed be a birthday card but I didn't have my glasses on, so Happy Birthday too." I love it. It makes me happy to know other people make mistakes, too. Perhaps she'll forgive me for totally forgetting the occasions I should have remembered pertaining to her family.

I have not reached the point where I'm totally in need of my glasses in order to see well. I'm sure sooner or later I'll acquire the 40-year-old eyes. Right now the advantage of not wearing them is that things are just a little out of focus. Not wearing them makes the world a better place. I don't see people's wrinkles -- unless they're really apparent -- or their crow's feet or their pimples. When I look into the mirror, the distance is just close enough to see my imperfections. I wonder if somehow this was planned.

The one thing I hate about 40 is knowing just how fast time flies. I must be having fun. For the most part, I am. My life is going well, I'm healthy, happy and most of all grateful for these things. My only complaint would be that it's hard to keep up. I work at keeping up. This I achieved through letting go of my stubbornness and believing in what makes sense.

There were times in my life, in my 20s, and 30s when I felt 40 and sometimes even 100 years older than the actual number. Most of the time it was due to my own lack of making the right choices. To keep it simple and not get into any great detail, there are three things that make sense in order to function optimally and rank high on my list of priorities: sleep, food and lack of stress, or, relaxing. It is then, and only then, that I can operate beneficially and be available to others.

Due to an overabundance of stubbornness, I had to learn the hard way about how important those three little things can be.

There's a lot more to life than those three little things, though. I have learned to appreciate all that I'm thankful for by experiencing emotions like despair, frustration, anger and helplessness. With the basis for comparison I'm able to put those emotions in perspective and try to find the good in it all, or the purpose in it all.

I hope that anyone that feels the need to remind me of my age realizes that I like me no matter what age I am.