Brain Reflects On The Big 4-0!

Today I turn 40.  The big 4-0.  I knew it was coming.  I've told friends and family it doesn't frighten me.  Hey, it's just a number, right?  You're only as old as you act and feel.  And while I truly believe that statement, being 40 does mean something different.

Something inside me has changed within the last year or so.  It is the realization that I'm getting older, and I can't do anything about it.  Kids will do that to you.  My oldest, Chase, turned 10 this fall.  I've been a parent for a decade!  And while I treasure the rare date nights that my wife and I get to enjoy a couple times a year, I realize that I miss my kids when they're gone, even for a little while.

And how about marriage itself?  After 15 years as a married couple, I can tell you that my wife and I are as happy and passionate as ever.  You get out what you put in to a relationship.  It took me a long time to realize that at times I was being selfish.  I wasn't considering how my actions affected others.  Age also gives you knowledge on that front.

My passions at the age of 40 are still relatively the same.  I still love music, and movies.  I love working in radio.  I love sports, and obsessing about my favorite teams.  But I've come to know that my one real passion is my family.  The time we spend together, and the things we get to do together trump everything else.

So as I begin a new chapter in my life, I look back on the past 40 years.  On what I've learned, experienced and done.  I have come to this conclusion.

This picture is the greatest accomplishment of my first 40 years.  I hope to spend the rest of my years enjoying them.