One month down, eleven more to go!

May 31, 2014 ... Day 31/365

Hello?  Anyone still out there?  Echo--echo--echo.  Well, I hope you are, and I hope you're enjoying this experience along with me!

As I was just telling my friend Laura though, writing every day, with no guarantee of readers?  It's quite the freeing experience!  When you know there aren't a lot of people out there reading your daily blog, you can stop worrying about pleasing people, or entertaining them, and just really focus on the work at hand.

Today is the 31st day of my 365-day journey from age 39 to age 40.  I turned 39 years old on May 1st, also known as Day 1, and on May 1st next year, I will turn 40 years old.  The journey is titled Finishing Forty, because when you turn a certain age, you've actually completed that year of your life.  When you turn 1, you have finished 1 year of life on Earth.  So by the time I turn 40, I will have completed 40 years of life on Planet Earth.

The concept of turning 40 makes my head spin, and my ego doesn't like it much either, but I decided I had to embrace it fully, and really, really analyze what it means for me, and hopefully at the same time, what it means for you. 

I realized quickly that turning 40 truly is a major turning point in any person's life.  It's a chance to look backward, look forward, and look at where I am right here and right now.  So far in this journey, I've shared stories of my past and my present.  I've thought back to fond memories, because by remembering them, I have seen them as teachable moments or even teachable years in my life.  By remembering certain people or moments, I have honored their place in my life, in who I was at that time, and who I am today.

So as I finish this first month of writing every day about my life in past, present, and future tenses, I thank you for joining me on this journey.  Maybe you're reading along as I post these online, or maybe you're reading them many years later.  Wherever you are now, this is where I was today!  Thank you for caring, and thank you for joining me on this little stroll.  I don't know where my path will lead me 11 months from now, but I appreciate your interest and care very, very much! 

I do hope to entertain you a bit, but I also hope you'll learn from my experiences, good and bad, and maybe even --gasp!-- turn 40 one day too.  (Over 40?  Stop smiling!  Under 40?  Stop cringing!) 

Thanks for reading!