The Final 24....

Yes - it's the final 24. "24 What?" you say. Well - the final 24 hours of being in my 30's. What else? (Yes, I'm aware that there is a television series out there named "24" but the Sutherlands are not real high on my list of "Have to Watch" television and so naturally the mind will turn itself to age.)



I don't know why I'm so bothered. I keep hearing that "40" is the new "30" and that "50" is the new "40". Yeah right! I wonder who came up with that logic. Also I've heard - "Your as old as you feel". Well most days I feel like signing up at the nearest nursing home for occupancy. Basket Weaving and tapioca pudding sound really good sometimes. So how old does that make me? 30? 40? 50? 90? 115? For good measure I should probably put in there that I seem to be on the verge of more "Temper Tantrums" than usual. Maybe we could throw the number "3" in there too. After all - the inner brat wants out sometimes too and since we're as "old as we feel" - "3" is a good description too. Of course - I also want to "roll my eyes", pop gum, forget to clean my room, and give a few blond stares when questioned about it. all Maybe I should throw in "13" too. Yes - I believe that "13" is a good age to be. Because I have young children I also still hang out with some "20 somethings" and "30 somethings". Through them I see my young child through the eyes of new parenting skills. I even get to make the same parenting mistakes - again. (I know - one would think that I would learn the first time but parenting rules change every 10 years or so. So what was acceptable 10 years ago has evolved or devolved - depending on your perspective - into something else.) I also have friends and relatives whose children are going into college or have graduated already and are starting their own families. Through them I see where my children are headed and I feel like the "baby" of the group. When we compare woes I hear "Just Wait!" "You'll See!" "That was easy compared to _______."



Yes - I know these final "24" hours are just numbers. Hours ticked off until the big "4 - 0" happens. I've used them to think about what these numbers really mean and how they will affect me tomorrow. I think what I need to remind myself is that at any given moment tomorrow and/or the next year, I will mentally be a baby, 3, 13, 20 something, 30 something, 40, 50, 90, and 115. That's just something that happens to all of us at some point in our lives. I will not be the exception. 40 is the physical age of my body, not my mind. I will just have to get used to it. Considering what the alternative is......I guess 40 sounds pretty good.

I do however hope that there won't be 40 candles on the cake tomorrow. That just might be dangerous.