Firsts in my 40’s
Who says life ends when you get older? When I turned 40 a few years ago, it felt like my life was ready to start a new chapter.
My first 3 decades were spent keeping others around me happy and believing everything I was told to be true. I had little kids and was learning everything the hard way (the way most moms do the first time around). I worried about every new stage, worried about money, and if my kids were going to turn out, and if I would make it through the next dentist appointment, or urgent care visit, or head lice, or impetigo, or all the other crazy sicknesses kids catch when they leave the house. I still worry about those things and new things that come with the teen years like my kids’ choice of friends, grades, mental health, faith, and sexual identity.
I want my 40’s to be a time of listening and learning from new voices, learning to trust my own voice, and dreaming bigger dreams for myself and those I love. I’m not a risk taker, but have realized that never stepping into new things only bleeds frustration. Trying new things, even if they have flopped, has brought new confidence.
A few things I’ve tried for the first time since turning 40 have been:
blogging
tent camping with the whole family
going to a black lives matter protest
reading books by people of color and LGBTQ affirming authors
teaching piano lessons online
Learning from therapy and a spiritual director
Some things on my bucket list are:
20th anniversary trip with my husband
buying a house (we have always rented)
getting a dog
gardening (never had one)
planning a girls weekend with friends
writing a book
Finding other piano teachers to grow Welcome Mat Music
What is something you are hoping and dreaming about? Saying it out loud can help get the train rolling and maybe someone will read or hear your voice and help you with your next steps.