They say that youth is wasted on the young.
That is true!
Cause if I knew then what I know now…
I remember being 16 and thinking that 40 yr. olds were old and corny.
And now, I’m one of them.
But I’m not old or corny.
I’m comfortable/ in this skin.
The word ‘NO’ falls freely from my lips!
And I’m not really interested in what people think… anymore.
Being tall and self-conscious as a girl, I lied about my age.
I graduated from high school a year early.
So when all of my friends were turning 18,
I was turning 17.
I was so embarrassed about this.
Funny thing is, when all of my friends were turning 40,
I would quickly tell them, while laughing, that I was still 39!
I cried before my 40th birthday.
It just wasn't as sexy as 30.
But being this age is a gift.
There's some 'lovely' in these years.
Knowing yourself.
Knowing your body.
Knowing your boundaries
And the sex is great!
I’ve got some lines around my smile and a wrinkle or two.
But I’ve discovered the beauty of Oil of Olay,
eating my vegetables,
and getting those 8 glasses of water in every day.
I have an afro of gray hair at the top of my head.
But I’ve taught myself how to apply that Bigen 58 Black/Brown very nicely.
I know that I HAVE to workout to maintain my weight.
And that 4 hours of sleep just isn’t enough.
My lower back shows out every now and again.
But my Moonwalk is still tight!
I'm just now embracing things that I've known all along.
Things like~ If something is truly mine, no one can take it.
Like~ sometimes it's a blessing to NOT get everything that you want.
Like~ there’s always, always, always something better around the corner
if you just hold on.
Like~ if you have one true friend then you are rich!
Like~ the only thing that’s really real is Love.
I get that it's not just me!
That EVERYBODY has a story.
That most of us are just doing the best we can.
Trying to get to/more happy/more comfort/more love.
Wanting to belong to something/somebody
Wanting to know that someone somewhere has our back.
What I know now more than ever…is exactly how much I don’t know.
And the older I get the less I need.
My family is the true blessing!
Quiet is better than the Club.
And sometimes sleep is better than sex. Sometimes!
So I celebrate myself today.
My beautifully flawed, wonderful self.
*pops bottle*
6 comments:
Well said, but I must disagree with one point...sometimes, the club is better than the quiet. But that's just my humble opinion (and you had to expect that from me, right?). I'm a few years behind 40, but I hope when I get there, I embrace it like you are now embracing being in your 40s...like a champ!
Smooches
Lisa, Brava! You have such a gifted and unique voice. It appears that you've found your "sound". Ain't nothing more beautiful. Keep writing always! I enjoy your most recent musing. More! More! More! Hope your birthday was swell.
Well my dear as always your thoughts are beautifully expressed. You have definitely celebrated what a gift it is to be in the 40/40 club!!! Yeah us and the best is yet to come.
The older I get, the more I realize how much I don't know... Yes, indeed. And hopefully, the more you don't care that you don't know! Ha! Love you, girl, and wishing you a magnificent journey through your 40's, and beyond.
xoxo
Loved the post Lisa! It gave me perspective on what to look forward to ;-) It's beautiful how you've embraced turning 40 and hope that I will do the same when my time arrives. You truly do have a gift. Thanks for sharing it.
Beautiful poem. I guess I'll have to re-read it when I turn forty. (I guess I'll have to re-read it when I ADMIT to being forty!)
Thanks for the link.
Doug
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