So This is My Forty–Flawed, Fun, and Free
I remember sitting with my college roommates watching Friends and thinking, “Wow, those guys are old. When I’m their age, it will be so fun to hang around a coffee shop all day with my friends.” That’s how little I knew about life and how my life would play out. 
When I was the same age as Courtney Cox or Jennifer Aniston on Friends, I was knee deep in diapers, Thomas the Train Engine episodes, and spit-up rags. I never thought beyond the ages of the cast of Friends. I don’t think I even thought about being forty.
In just a few short days, I will turn forty years old. If you would have asked me in my early twenties if I would be excited about this milestone, I would have laughed. I’ve never been a person who could think about something so far in the future, but here it is. In my face. I am forty.
Forty is easy to swallow because of the four F’s.
Family
The sweetest part about being forty is the family that surrounds me. My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles made the beginning of my life fantastic. I always have abundant love and support, no matter what. Now, we’ve created a family that makes life so sweet in a different way. My children are my everything, and they make life too sparkly to get upset about a number. They are proof that my forty years were well spent. They are proof that our future is exciting. Not to mention the wonderful family I gained when I married my husband.
At this sweet age, I get front row to my kids experiencing the kind of love family can give from the same people who raised me. Their grandparents are their number one fans. They get to know my incredible grandmother with whom I spent all of my time from ages 1-6. They are spoiled like I was by my aunts and uncles, and they get to appreciate and experience the humor and sarcasm of my sister. Family is proof that forty may just be the sweet spot of life. 
Friends
There is research out there somewhere that people who spend time with their friends live happier and live longer, but I didn’t need a report to tell me that. One of the best parts of turning forty is watching my best friends live their dreams–some of which we created together in our teens and early twenties.
Who knew seeing my friends accomplish each goal we commiserated about over beer and cold pizza could be so much fun? After college, the friends who have come with my job and my address make a bigger city seem like the small one that raised me. My friends are incredible humans, giving back in so many ways, while simultaneously making forty look good. I am forever in awe of the people who joined me on this journey. It is so special to see our children play together, and just as great to call one of my college friends my writing partner. #kellyriiberules.
Freedom
The freedom that comes from facing forty is nothing I could have anticipated. I am liberated from so many superficial beliefs that used to bind me (most of the shackles were self-imposed by the way). Contrary to popular belief, my scars do define me. I read somewhere that every tummy stretch mark was a time I felt my babies kick or stretch when no one else could. I like that logic, and I can expand on it.
Every eye wrinkle was a time I held my children tight, in silence, in the middle of the night, just us. Each freckle on my face was a time I laughed in the sun with my friends or kids. And even the scars I earned from a life-threatening accident are badges of honor that remind me of how blessed I am to get another day with the people I love the most.
Freedom at forty also means my kids are old enough for me to let them fly the nest a bit. Watching them carve their own way is exciting. We are all up on two-wheeled bikes now, my kids have their social groups, and they can get their own breakfast. The sweet freedom from drinking a hot cup of coffee won’t be lost on me any time soon. (Young mamas reading this, it WILL happen. I promise.)
Fun
The older I get, the more authentic fun I have. Don’t get me wrong, I needed to go through the trial and error of my twenties in order to appreciate what genuine fun can feel like. I still love live music, a good beer with friends, and the thrill of an amusement park, but I have found true fun in slowing down a bit. Just like most Tim McGraw songs claim, there is nothing like a summer drive with the windows down, fishing on a shoreline with my family, a hike in the forest, or a great yoga class. Fun for me as I face forty comes in simple get-togethers, a conversation about faith with my besties, a long walk with my puppies, watching my students graduate each year, and reading a good book.
Although I cringe at some of my mistakes on the road to forty, I wouldn’t change anything about what got me here. In this sweet spot of life, I am forever surprised at how much I am looking forward to this next decade. Jakob Dylan said, “My age is a metaphor. It only speaks of everything before.” I’m starting to get what he means by this. Facing forty for me means appreciating what has happened in the last forty years, but it also means facing forward, facing the freedom, facing the fun, and having faith that I’m exactly where I need to be. That feels wonderful.