Wait... when did I become middle aged?

Well, hi.  My name is Tricia and I am 41 years old.  This is my first ever blog entry.  I have been following and reading different types of blogs for some time now.  I find people, and their ideas so interesting.  Most of the blogs I follow are written by clever young twenty/thirty-something year olds, just beginning their journey through life.  I thought it might be interesting and somewhat entertaining to blog the life of someone heading into her middle aged years... and trying to do it gracefully.

This is not an easy thing to do.  I didn't wake up one day and feel older, or ready for middle age at all.  When I pass a mirror, I am always a little surprised at who I see in the reflection.  I expect it will still be that fresh faced girl, far from perfect, but at least perfectly young.  Wrinkles crept up on me. The hair on my head is graying and thinning, while obnoxious thick hair grows in places I had never imagined.  Gravity is no friend to any of my parts.  And while I still consider myself mainly a stay at home mom, I do have a very part time job in the beauty industry as an esthetician.  I'm sure being in this industry makes me more critical of myself, and of my appearance. The physical part of aging sometimes leaves me feeling defeated.

That being said, I know now at 41, that I am wiser.   I know that I understand, and appreciate things more completely.  I know how to love, and how to be loved in return.  I know that I am so close to accomplishing what is, in my mind, the best thing anyone can accomplish.  I am raising two of the most amazing kids, who have already shown signs that they will be productive and compassionate human beings.  I have a daughter who is a senior in high school, and a son who is a sophomore.  I am not done parenting them yet, but I am so proud of the people they are today.  My next challenge will be learning to let them fly on their own.  I can't believe that day is almost here.  This is going to be so hard for me.  But I can do it.  And I will keep trying to do it gracefully...