Blowing into 40

Tomorrow I turn forty. In some ways it’s no big deal - just because we use base 10 are all numbers divisible by 10 of more importance? Yet, somehow forty seems like a milestone. I am entering a new decade, a middle age, outliving the historic average life expectancy, and becoming wise congruent to my years. At some points in my life I didn’t know if I would make it to this point, and so I feel fortunate. But forty is also such a looming age. Hovering in the future like a storm cloud on the horizon. A club with conscription that you feel both honored and hesitant to join. Jakob says I can just stay 39 if I want, but that feels like cheating. Also, when Zadie shed tears because she didn’t want to turn 7 we all laughed and told her it would be great being 7 too. It’s going to be great being 40 too. In actuality it might even be a relief as 40 is a very easy number to remember. 

I have mused over the past few years of what sort of celebrations turning forty might entitle me to. What sort of crazy mid life crisis could I cook up for myself. Life is busy though and we already lead lives full of joy and adventure. Here we are in Japan walking along with our five daughters which is a pretty amazing way to cruise into a decade. And yet, a few days ago, I was feeling a bit low about it all. I really wanted to take a shower for my birthday and take a break from sharing a single sleeping pad with a restless toddler. Turns out though that my birthday is not only important to me and the heavens (there is a yearly meteor shower on August 12) but to all of Japan as it is a mountain holiday (how fitting right?) and is followed by the big Summer holiday Obon. So, any hopes of a night in a hotel was looking unlikely. And then Maria, the tropical typhoon, decided to appear with an expected landfall of August 12th making even walking a bad idea. It was a stressful couple of days of trying to figure out how to keep our family safe. Two train rides and a bus later we are in a suburb outside the city of Morioka. Our hotel has an onsen and a grocery store across the street. We were given 30 tokens for drinks. The mountains and storms and stars and my family will all be there to celebrate and drink with me as I enter this next stage of life. But next year I turn 41 and prime numbers are pretty important so can’t wait to find out what crazy plans I can come up with for 41. 

My team

So much joy

Tent life

This is 40