And the Festival of Jenny begins ...

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So I turn 40 today.  Yesterday my work colleagues put on an incredible lunch for me - they do like to celebrate with vast quantities of food.  Today I'm going to go out for coffee with a group of my school mum friends.  And tonight I'm going to celebrate my birthday in true style (well, at least 'consistent' style in my life) by going on our annual church weekend away.  In April I'm planning a party.  So thus we are in the Festival of Jenny.

How do I feel about turning 40?  I feel pretty fantastic to be honest.  I don't think there is much else that I would want from life that I haven't been able to have or experience in my forty years.  This feels like a great blessing and privilege to me.  Lovely family that brought me up, crazily unusual childhood, got to go to uni (a few times), I've been married for 17 years to a man who is incredible (and we still like each other - more incredible), have five (five? wow, really, that is truly unexpected) beautiful kids, many friends, good health, a relationship with the God who made me.  Not much missing.  Nothing missing actually.

So the Festival of Jenny is not so much about me, as much as an excuse to enjoy the great relationships in my life and to celebrate my immense thankfulness for getting to 40 in a state of much joy and peace.  I like being older.  I care less what others think of me (how different to 20) so I'm freed up to just get on with things and enjoy all that lies ahead.  I'm much surer of who I am and my place in the world - quite liberating.

Bring it ON ... and I'll just pretend my niggling shoulder injury isn't the beginning of the slow decline!

Comments

Karen said…
Happy birthday Jenny, glad to hear you are feeling so blessed and content about this significant milestone! (wish I could have felt as good as you about it...I wasn't such a contented person-turning-40...but I am hoping it was just the sleep deprivation talking).
Enjoy your weekend away of celebrations :)
March 16, 2012 at 9:54 AM
Deb said…
Happy birthday and many happy returns of the day! Your good-humoured approach to the craziness of mothering has been a blessing to me (just to let you know you've been a blessing to others as well).
March 16, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Sarah said…
Happy Birthday Jenny! Enjoy your festival (it does sound very nice). I agree with what Deb said about your blog being a blessing to many people.
March 16, 2012 at 2:51 PM
Kath said…
Happy Birthdy Jenny.
Enjoy the festival! It's great to be able to celebrate so many blessings. PTL. :)
March 16, 2012 at 10:27 PM
Anonymous said…
Happy 40th Jenny!
March 17, 2012 at 6:48 AM
Meredith said…
Happy birthday. Wonderful to read how content you are. May the contentment continue on. Hope the festival of you has been and continues to be a joy.
Mx
March 19, 2012 at 9:25 PM
lucy said…
Can I just say... I am going to use some of your words if I get thrown into the limelight and have to make an impromptu speech at my 40th. I'll have a few phrases up my sleeve now, thanks Jen. I too look forward to 40, I'm having a huge party to celebrate.plenty to be thankful for, I quite agree.x
March 23, 2012 at 6:06 PM
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