Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Happy Birthday to me...


Thanks to everyone who called, sang to me, sent cards and e-mailed Happy Birthday Wishes on Saturday.  I wouldn't normally make it a public event, but since I survived the big 40 last year and 41 was a little more anti-climatic I wrote a poem about it for my writing class today.


Forty-One

What you remember about turning 40 is really fine.
Joke cards and black flowers and Oprah saying,
"Don't worry forty is the new twenty."

I blew out all those candles and wrote a letter to myself.
It still hangs on the mirror in the bathroom.

Girl,

Today you are forty. Time to get serious about things.

I solemnly swear I will:

Apply wrinkle cream every night before I go to sleep.
Spend more time playing with the children.
Read my digital camera manual.
Give up wearing my husband's oversized t-shirts to bed.
Wear nice underwear sometimes.
Develop inner calm.

I solemnly swear I will not:

Waste money on fancy coffee drinks at Starbucks
Spend hours surfing the internet.
Nag my husband daily.
Fantasize about life in San Francisco before the children were born.
Watch reality TV.
Throw recycling cans or bottles into the regular trash...

What? What's that? What's that you say?

I can throw my list away?

I'm turning 41 on Saturday.

 

**It's so nice not to have the pressure this year of beginning a new decade :)!!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes! Congrats and so glad you are throwing away the list!!! I can see "giving up starbucks but wearing nice underwear??? Come on now! :):) Have a nice 41st year. I am glad I am in on this one!

Anonymous said...

My only difficult year was 29. God knows why, but knowing that your twenties are done somehow hit me like a safe falling out of a 30 story office building.

All the rest? Didn't notice them much. Every year is a good year.

Hippo Birdees, Two Ewes (again)

Elle said...

ok - I like wearing nice underwear but don't mess with my starbucks!
great funny post
very cute !

Genny said...

Happy Birthday, Laura! I loved this! Too fun.

Joyce said...

Happy HAPPY Birthday, Laura!

I totally LOVE your list; so fun! Surely you may SOMETIMES enjoy Starbuck's?

(Where did you find the cute birthday cake graphic?)

Momisodes said...

LOL! I loved this poem :)

Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

p.s. I still haven't read my camera manual...3 years later.

CC said...

Happy Happy Birthday!!!!!!