We are constantly told to fear and dread aging.

As I turn 40 this month, I reflect on all I have overcome to get here. And how much I have grown.

Celebrating ourselves can be a way of honoring our own journeys.

November is my birthday month.

Yes, I celebrate the month. (Don’t @ me!)

It was actually something I started doing in college. My birthday (the actual day) falls close to Thanksgiving, so many of my friends would be leaving campus right around the time I was getting ready to celebrate. I also had a roommate whose birthday was close to Christmas, so we started celebrating early.

The trend caught on (whether it caught on or I pushed it, I will never know). This worked well until my 21st birthday, which, as we all know, cannot legally be celebrated early—at least not if you want your special bar drink in hand.

If you’re rolling your eyes and thinking I appear a bit arrogant, bear with me for a moment while I explain. While celebrating and having fun with friends was, of course, fun, these celebrations........

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