I find myself approaching my 40th birthday, standing at the edge of a threshold that feels both weighty and full of possibility. There’s a depth to this moment that I can’t ignore—a quiet but persistent calling to honor it in a way that feels intentional and true.
When I’ve shared with others that I’m turning 40, the responses have been varied. But what has stayed with me most is the perspective from those who have already crossed this threshold: this is a beautiful place to be. What a gift, to be welcomed into a new chapter with that kind of energy. Lately, in conversations with friends and in circles I’ve been part of, there’s been a shared longing for elders—for people who can meet us with wisdom, who can hold space for us with steadiness and care. While my peers may not yet be elders, they carry their own lived wisdom. And being met with a genuine “welcome to 40” feels grounding, even reassuring.
I think back to when I was a kid and 40 was framed as being “over the hill.” There were cards and parties built around that idea. Looking at it now, it feels almost surreal. I can’t imagine arriving at this milestone and being told that everything meaningful lies behind me. There’s a quiet grief in realizing that many people were met that way—without celebration, without reverence for the power and clarity that can come with age.
Because the truth is, aging feels like a gift to me. Not just in theory, but in my body, in my lived experience. I see it in the strands of grey hair appearing in soft patches. I feel it in the shifts of my body and hormones as I enter a new phase. These changes don’t feel like losses—they feel like invitations. Invitations to listen more closely, to honor more deeply, to live more honestly.
I’m reminded by the wise voices in my life to stay open—to what 40 might teach me, to what it might reveal. I find myself wondering: what lessons will this decade hold? What new truths about myself are waiting to be uncovered?
Thresholds have a way of asking for reflection. As I approach this one, I feel called to take an honest look at the systems that make up my life—my body, my heart, the way I move through the world. What needs tending? What needs releasing? What wants to grow?
And, of course, I feel the pull to mark this transition with ritual and ceremony. To honor it by calling in what matters most to me: authenticity, deep friendship, love of nature, and the courage to use my voice in ways I haven’t before.
So here’s to 40. I step toward it with an open heart, ready to receive all that it has to offer.
xo,
April & Lena