In My 40th Year

Age: 39 + 364, originally uploaded by jamie lang.

My 40th birthday was yesterday, March 18th and I have been thinking about all things birthday for a while now.

In the last 40 years I have made some good choices and some poor choices. I have had grand failures and grander successes. I have done the right thing more often than not (I hope), I am kind to strangers and small animals and I am a good citizen (mostly). But the last year, my 40th, has been spectacular in all regards.

In my 40th year I celebrated my 10th year of marriage to Jamie. We cuss and fight and bicker and do all the cool things old married couples are supposed to do. in short, I love her and my life would not be complete without her.

In my 40th year my daughters celebrated their 9th, Madeleine's, and 4th, Genevieve's, birthdays. We cuss and fight and bicker (sound familiar) like all families do and the two of them bring some much joy into my life (when we're not busy with the cussing, fighting and bickering) I cannot begin to express it. Their personalities are so unique and they are both so creative. I see them growing into beautiful women and I hope they realize all of their dreams and goals and if I have had any hand in their foundations that they will be kind to strangers and small animals as well as good citizens.

In my 40th year I made new friends, I pushed my boundaries and I discovered that, while many of my peers in these endeavors were much younger, I still had a lot to contribute. I'm more wiseass than wise but I was able to help

In my 40th year I have done some things professionally that I never thought I would, never thought I would do and never expected to do again. I got paid to sing. I got paid to act. I even got paid to dance (although I was way out of my league there). I got paid to write. I got paid to do radio again. I got paid to tell jokes. I even got paid to play the Ukulele, and it happened so fast and with so much laughter a) they didn't know what hit them and b) they didn't have time to ask, tell or otherwise demand that I stop.

I also got told that at 40 my life is half over. Although that may be statistically correct I hadn't planned on my life ending at 80. When I reach 80 I might have different ideas but for now I plan on breathing and singing and laughing and loving every day and not looking so much at the end of the game but focusing instead on where I am right now. In the moment. Giving as much as I can to all that need it.

Peace and Love.