For most people, turning 40 is quite a momentous occasion. I turned 40 at the end of 2007 which made 2008 my real year of actually being 40. I didn’t really look at being 40 as all that big of a deal. My husband is six years older than I am, most of my friends were already there, and heck, I don’t look too bad. Besides, I don’t even have grey hair and I am banking on my paternal grandmother’s genes to kick in giving me my dark blond hair into my seventies.
What I didn’t bank on was the rollercoaster ride of change I’d find myself on in 2008. As the country rolled through it’s own changes I went on my own journey searching for how to deal with my own personal challenges. As much as I love motherhood, I hadn’t realized how much my personal sacrifice had taken out of me and needed to find a way to bring balance back into the picture.
The country continued to stir with election turmoil and debate and the economy suffered one setback after another. I applied to graduate school in July, got accepted and at the same time was offered a part-time job in Delaware. It seemed like suddenly my life was a whirlwind! I started reconnecting with friends I hadn’t talked to in years through Facebook. By election time, the country was in a frenzy, I was in a frenzy, but I was having fun.
After finally slowing down through the holidays and soaking in some quality time with friends and family, I look forward to this last year of the first decade of the 2000’s. I do have a little pang from the New Year however. It looks as though the paternal grandmother’s genes may not come through for me after all. My sister-in-law’s bathroom mirror doesn’t lie as well as mine does and showed off just a few strands of grey hair in my dark blond hair. Ah well, guess it may be time to hit the salon.
This blog began with my librarian journey in 2008. It’s named for my disheveled barnyard in Radnor, PA -- but the majority of the content is dedicated to education, libraries, and YA literature.
