Fabulous Forties
I thought I enjoyed my thirties. I mean, the events of that decade were tumultuous, but it was also the decade that saw me publish my first book and realize a dream of owning a little homestead with chickens and goats and whatnot. It was great, my body was starting to show a bit of wear and tear, but for the most part, it was still pretty well behaved. My kids were at a fun age (I mean, littles are cute and all, but they are EXHAUSTING.) And I felt like I had a better sense of who I was as a woman.
But that did nothing to prepare me for entering my forties. Sure, I grouse about the gray hair, extra weight, haywire hormones, and whatnot. You could take a trip to Italy with the baggage under my eyes. But that’s all just superficial stuff.
I have to say, I LOVE being a 43-year-old woman. I’ve shed the people-pleasing part of me that held me chained in unhealthy relationships and places. Oddly enough, that freed me to be a better friend to the people who belong in my inner circle. Because when I stopped being such a doormat, I shed toxic people from my life. I’ve come into a truer, fuller sense of who I am.
I’ve always been the kind of person to take chances, to dream big and go after it. But there’s been in indescribable shift in me. I wouldn’t say I’m fearless, but perhaps damn close.
Don’t get me wrong: I want to shed this weight. I may not mind the gray hair sneaking its way into the mix, but I’m not one to simply shrug and say beauty is for youth alone. I want to take care of myself and stay active and vibrant and, yes, beautiful, for as long as I can.
But I understand that beauty is not the same as it was 20 years ago, and I’m okay with that.
I’ve given birth to babies. Gained and lost (and gained) weight. Been scarred, inside and out. Experienced great joy and great sorrow. I have LIVED.
There was a time when, like Josie in Elusive Magic, it scarred me to be dating at this age. Men often expect women to look like we did 20 years ago—or they opt for the younger version altogether. But 23-year-old me didn’t appreciate her worth or her strength. She wasn’t a bad person, but she wasn’t as kick-ass as later models.
All of the trials, all of the hard stuff, it’s given me a deeper sense of compassion. A sense of justice. The guts to fight for it.
Often, metals are refined by fire to remove impurities, thus making them stronger. The Bible often talks about God’s work in a person’s life as a refining fire. Whatever your faith, you know it. Our trials mold us and shape us.
Please don’t take this as me saying I’m all that. I’m not. I’m a hot mess. But I like this hot mess a whole lot better than I used to. I’m enjoying life more, too.
There was a time when I feared middle age. But I’m finding it’s a pretty good spot to be. And I look at the women in my life who’ve crossed into their 50s (and Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris—sheros!), and it makes me think even better things are yet to come.
I consider my new release, Elusive Magic, to be my homage to women in their 40s: their strength, their power, the things they juggle every single day. It’s a celebration of friendship, an honest look at our imperfections, and a call to never stop dreaming.
