40 Reasons for Bacon and Pimento Cheese

In honor of my 40th birthday I thought I would take the time to celebrate my age. While I would not say I am aging gracefully, I am aging with flair (think Office Space circa 1999). I have decided that 40 years in one body is long time. Just ask my hip, she is a complainer. But today I am counting my blessings for my stretch marks, gray hair, Lycra high waist-ed pants, and even the wrinkles that Botox can’t fix. I suggest bangs, follow me for more beauty tips.

As I lament about my underwear being too tight and my exercise schedule being different, I am also acutely aware of how my body has served me well for the past 40 years. My body has provided me with the strength I needed to do hard things. I carried three babies, nursed them with my working boobs (no one works harder than a nursing mother’s nipples), and chased toddlers for hours. And FYI your uterus will give up on you after housing three back to back babies for 9 months, even she has her limits.

At 40 I can’t run as far or as fast as I could in my 30s. Just weekend warrior status over here now. But I can still hold my 7 year old while making a mean pan of tacos. These are the activities that my body is tasked with at this stage of my life.

I am not discounting anyone else’s experience at this stage of life, but I am only able to speak about my own life experiences. You do you. And while sometimes I struggle with the realization I am no longer running long distances, I also remind myself that I am capable of that and if that was my priority right now I could do it again. Hip be darned.

Getting older is really weird, it’s personal and generalized. We all go through similar stages but we respond differently. What I require out of my body is not the same as what you require out of your body. If you want to train for that marathon. Go for it. And I will be cheering you on from the sidelines in underwear that cuts off circulation to my legs and my Lycra high waist-ed pants. Because that’s where I am in my life at this moment. I now stick to a moderate amount of exercise with a healthy amount of pimento cheese and bacon.

Age is a difficult construct to talk about because we all see our flaws clearly. But the real enemy is not our flaws, age, wrinkles, or even stretch marks, the real enemy is insecurity. Insecurity is based on unrealistic expectations and those expectations can cause great distress. So set healthy expectations of your body based on the life stage you are in right now. While I might not run long distances anymore, I can make healthy choices that include exercise and bacon.

You can choose to love yourself, your body, and all that your body has done for you as you age. But its a choice every day, because insecurity is always hanging around and it will take over if you let it. So carbs or no carbs, healthy food or southern fried, petite or curvy, triathlete or weekend warrior, be thankful for your body’s accomplishments as you age.