Midlife tune-up

I normally spend a day or two once a year doing personal maintenance. You know, the basics: a facial, massage, pedicure and doctor appointments. However this past week, as I celebrated my birthday, I had to pull out the big guns...38 feels really old! I am not sure if it is lack of sleep, taking care of a toddler and a newborn or the fact that the two candidates for governor of Florida are only one year older than me but this birthday felt big...a pivotal, shall I say defining, no turning back moment in my life even more so than my artificially scary age of 32... in comparison this is way worse.

At 38, I can no longer claim I am in my mid 30s. And at 38, I don’t yet have the grace and humor of turning 39, the final step before 40. Yes 38 is a rough age to admit to.  

So these past two weeks I have spent doing a more thorough mid-life tune up.

I got a pedicure the day before my birthday. My first one in close to two and a half years. And as I have done for the past ten plus years I got the same color, OPI red, since it felt natural and familiar. Although in the harsh daylight of the following day, the OPI red seemed all wrong, it was too loud, screaming I am off to Vegas without a care in the world (or even worse, I am in denial about my age). While it suited me and my life for 10 years, it is no longer the right color for me. Time to find a new one that tells the world I am a 38 year old mom of two.

To follow up the disappointing pedicure, I had multiple doctor appointments, thanks to the postpartum process and my vanity. And as a result of these appointments I walked away with multiple prescriptions, for both medical necessities and superficial ailments.

With the all clear from my doctor, I went to my first postnatal yoga class with Alva to kick off my “Get My Body Back, But Better” (#GMBB2.0) efforts. Between the stretch marks and extra skin on my stomach I really need to work on losing the remaining pounds from pregnancy and get back into shape. No time like the present.

And in my free time, thanks to a sleepy newborn. I even balanced my checkbook (something I haven’t done since online banking became available) and kicked off a volunteer project for our local homeless center.

So okay, 38 is scary and I am definitely feeling my age, but I think I am now mentally, if not physically prepared and ready for the next year of my life.