Another rotation around the sun, another year wiser

January is birthday month for me. As a kid, I disliked having a birthday after Christmas as there was never the same level of fun or excitement. Now as an adult I enjoy celebrating my birthdays, especially as I feel older and wiser with each rotation around the sun.

Age is just a number, or so they say. I read an article recently that if people have a positive attitude to aging, it can reduce cardiovascular disease by 11%. I’ve always had a positive attitude to aging. Getting older doesn’t scare me. Maybe having health issues since my late teens made me mindful of my own mortality earlier. Or maybe my curious mind keeps me young. There’s nothing more obnoxious than someone who acts like they know everything. Nobody knows everything. To pretend so is ridiculous. I’m not afraid to admit when I don’t know something, especially when my child asks questions about random topics all the time. As a writer, I’m used to doing research about a good many topics. Lifelong learning keeps the brain young, for sure.

Taking care of my health – body and mind – is important especially as I’m now in my forties. There’s a certain stigma about being over 40; people in my peer group often refer to themselves as ‘old’. I personally don’t understand such a feeling; I am not deluded enough to refer to myself as ‘young’, but I’m realistic enough to acknowledge that I’m middle-aged. Comfortably and happily middle-aged, I may add. This isn’t in terms of having more bodily ailments (negative) but rather taking into consideration all of the life experiences I’ve had (positive). I’m wiser than I used to be. I’m not afraid to conserve my energy for myself, rather than pander to social obligations, as I might have when I was younger.

When people find out I’m in my forties, they often say to me “you don’t look your age”. I think I do. I just take care of myself, as best I can. I use natural products on the outside of my body, and I’m mindful of what I put into my body. I’m not perfect. I could definitely drink less alcohol and coffee and exercise more, but I do what I can, when I can, to keep my mind and body healthy. That’s about as much as anyone can do; to take control of the things that are within our capabilities.