You know, I was very unhappy on my 30th birthday, thinking that my youth was slipping away. If I could only have known what joy lay ahead. A new partner, raising a child, discovering new cultures, learning a new language. Making wonderful new friends!

I spent the week of my 40th birthday in a rustic cabin with close friends and my child, hiking, swimming, exploring a waterfall, canoe-camping complete with s'mores.

I asked myself how I could have ever imagined at 30 that I was growing old or "past it."

Was it the delayed-adolescence thing? Probably in part. I experienced that too. Was it gay culture that can get out of control valuing youthfulness? Probably in part, too.

So, I stopped trying to be young. Or rather, I stopped worrying about being old. I was too busy for that! I took up running marathons and outdoor distance swimming, which my 25-year-old self would have found ridiculous.

But I was having the time of my life.

I never would have imagined how much joy lay ahead of my 30th birthday. Or even my 40th!

Thanks for sharing your experiences. They resonate with me!