Happy birthday, love! And I'm afraid I can't help you, because I actually looked forward to my forties. *peers back over shoulder and adjusts binoculars* I'd known so many women who'd gotten their shit together, figured out who they were at long last, and had let go of old illusions both good and bad. They went after what they wanted and had a fruitful, interesting decade. When I turned forty I was full of life and restless to make changes, and I'd venture to say that I was in my prime. Alas, the change I chose to make was utterly made of fail, so I will warn you about that: it's still possible to be an idiot at one's mature peak.

Age didn't really start changing me physically until I was nearly fifty, and I've noticed the process speeds up once you hit mid-century. Especially if you're prone to insomnia. You're a long way off from that.

Give yourself something you've always wanted as a birthday present. That's a good way to start a new year. Also, do something you've never done before, followed by something you know you love to do. Just to mix it up a little but reward yourself no matter what. *hands you cake and your favorite brew*