I’m Not “Over the Hill”

I make plans.

Big time.

Before I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to be certified as a lab tech. (Thank you, ASVAB test.)

When I married, I knew I wanted to have my first baby before I turned thirty. (I read somewhere that by doing so would lower my chances of getting breast cancer. Hey, a deadline is a deadline.)

But what is there to accomplish today, when I’m considered “Over the Hill”?

If I live for deadlines, that dopamine rush when I accomplish something, where can I get my next hit if it’s all “downhill” from here?

Age 40 is considered a milestone

A milestone, by definition, is a stone that indicates how far you’ve traveled.

By age 20, you’ve passed the milestone of learning to read (emphasis on “learning”).

Age 30, you’ve passed the milestone of getting some sort of job.

Age 40…

How’s that nest egg coming along?

Have a plan to pay for the kids’ college?

Did you schedule your mammogram?

Age 40 is the ultimate *DEAD*line?

For a girl that lives for deadlines, preparing to STOP working isn’t the same dopamine hit as planning for a weekend of skydiving and mountain climbing. (Some would agree that applying for your first job is just as death-defying.)

The problem is, at age 40, I’ve already done the big 3:

• Graduated college.
• Married.
• Had a baby. (Twice, in fact.)

And the first time is enough for all of those, thank you very much.

And some fun stuff too:

• Published two novellas.
• Learned a powerful lesson of forgiveness.
• Became authentic in my relationship with God.

Like other things, there’s nothing like the first time 🙂

Age 40 doesn’t mean life is over

Let’s face it…

Some of that stuff is huge!

Getting through college is tough.

Choosing a partner for life is no small matter.

Childbirth takes every fiber of your being–and then some.

And then there’s the thrill of formatting a short novel 😉

So, if there is nothing else (new) to accomplish…

But 40+ doesn’t mean passively letting the younger generation take over either.

Here’s my thought.

I’m finally at an age where I can help the person I used to be.

It’s giving back… but from my experience.

It’s intentionally seeking out those who have the struggles I know intimately…

Since I’ve been there–and survived. And thrived.

And the best part?

I’ve already started. Unintentionally. As if God brought young women to me ahead of time to give me a nudge. “This is your new position. Let Me know when you get settled.”

The mama who started homeschooling… (Yeah. I remember those first few days…)

The woman who can’t find time to read the Bible… (Been there, done that.)

For the first time in my life, I’m in a position of authority!

If that’s not a dopamine-rush, I don’t know what is!

Who knew “teaching younger women” didn’t apply to only grandmas?!

“Likewise, teach the older women to to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge younger woman to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husband, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

Titus 2:3-5

Age 40 isn’t Over the Hill…

My life is relatively calm.

It is!

I’m no longer cramming for finals, forking over the deposit for a reception hall, or in labor pains…

But that doesn’t mean I’ve reached the peak! That I have nothing else to accomplish, no more “Hill” to climb.

Since that intense season of growth is over, I’m in a perfect position to shoulder the burden for…

• That college grad who has no idea what he’s good at. (It’s a job, not your identity.)
• Or the young married couple who is learning that 2 becoming 1 hurts. (But the security of having a partner for life can’t be beat!)
• Or the young mom with toddlers in tow. (Every age has different struggles. Find the joy!)

So, I’m not “Over the Hill”…

Age 40 is when I turn around and help others climb up!

What if having no plans is a good thing?

What if my new project is go head back down and give a shoulder to someone who needs it? When the climb is so steep (I have wads of tissues that can testify to this), when finding another foothold seems to be a waste of time (anger doesn’t make it go away), or the clouds just never seemed to let up, the heat relentless (it’s called endurance–and it’s a good thing).

What if having been through all that intense stuff puts me in a better place, a useful place?

What if for the next forty years I can help those who are going up?

I might have just found my new deadline.

As long as it doesn’t conflict with my upcoming skydiving trip 😉

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