You Should Feel BLESSED at 40…or at ANY Age!
(Note: this was written on my last full day of my 40th Birthday celebration week.)
I am just barely into my 40th year of life and as I sit at my beach house this morning, all I want to reflect on are the incredible blessings my life is full of. I have difficulty finding the words to describe how happy I really am. It’s been nearly seven months since losing my job and yet, I feel more blessed that ever. How do you describe that? I mean, really.
This has been an absolutely wonderful week of what I have been calling my “Rest and Relaxation Week”. Looking for another job, gaining my own clients 
for my freelance work, all the while keeping up with maintaining a well-kept home, not to mention the stresses financial burdens can put on a couple, that all takes work. I’m tired even as I type! A week away from it all was needed and I’m so very grateful that we have had this opportunity as we spent time in one of my favorite places on earth – the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
That’s one blessing.
My 40th Birthday in and of itself was another. Besides the fact that I had been able to turn that milestone by celebrating it away from home, my husband treated me to a day that was just for me, just what I wanted to do. He even put up with my desire to seek wild horses only to have found wild horse poop! Then, after a day of exploring the north side of these beautiful islands as well as a quick stop in cyberspace, my day was completed with a scrumptious homemade meal of eggplant parmesan served with linguini and fresh Italian bread on the side topped off with my very own Birthday cake – mouth-watering good! My husband made my day and I thank God for the gift that he is.
That’s another blessing.
Probably the blessing that most stood out for me on this my 40th Birthday week (besides the gift that is my husband) was something else that happened on the day I turned the BIG 4-0. It wasn’t something tangible or a special gift or anything. It’s what others did for me and what that signified to me.
I received so many Birthday wishes from so many people. Family called or posted on my Facebook wall, friends called or sent their best also through posts on my Facebook wall, and acquaintances I have made through social networking also did the same through either Facebook or Twitter. For most people that don’t quite “get” the beauty that is social networking, they aren’t going to see why that’s significant but hopefully what I say next will get them thinking.
It was so heartwarming to see that many people send me their greetings, not because of the numbers but simply because of the person I have become.
For me, this isn’t about popularity contests or like-ability factors. For me, the numbers of greetings I received signifies the number of people I have touched in some way to the point that I have made a difference in their lives. And that’s ALL I have ever wanted – to make a difference to someone somewhere. If what I do or say has a positive impact on someone else, then I have done my job…and I hate to use that word – job – loosely, but in a small way it is. The best part, it’s the kind of “work” I want to do.
Anyway, my point, what social networking can do to bring people together is 
truly an amazing thing. My “friends” (on Facebook) and my “followers” (on Twitter) – I don’t care about the numbers in so much as I care about my impact on them and I pray every single day that I set a positive example for those that I am connecting with.
So to get back to my Birthday blessing, it was so heartwarming to see that many people send me their greetings, not because of the numbers but simply because of the person I have become.
THAT’s a blessing!
And that’s all there is (for now) in turning 40. My 40th year of life will be just as amazing as the day I turned the milestone. I believe that because if the day I turned is any indication, there are more blessings to come.
It’s a beautiful thing.
Smiles,
Lisa
SO happy that you had a great week! Keep smiling!
Jenn