Dear Katharina, today you turn 44 and I’ve heard that you don’t really want to keep marching towards 50 and that you think that getting older could take a break. Let me find you a few arguments as to why it’s great to be 44.
22 reasons why it’s great to be 44
- You’re still closer to 40 than 50
- The second half of your life will give you much more time for yourself overall, because the children will become more independent and there will be gaps for you again
- You have four children and four siblings and will be 44 if four is not a lucky number for you
- You’ve been on board with Stadt Land Mama for 11 years, so numbers are really your thing
- You no longer have to look for a man to fulfil your desire to have children
- You’re no longer as clueless as you were at 24 and can enjoy your life experience. Who’s going to tell you what to do now that you’ve taken responsibility for several people’s lives?
- There are some incredibly exciting years ahead of you, because you will see which path your children take for themselves
- You no longer have to live in dingy student flats on streets with far too much traffic
- You’re not old yet, so you still have plenty of time for your dreams
- You don’t have a stupid boss whose pockets you have to work in
- You can do your job from home so you can still see your children at lunchtime
- You are now starting a new podcast and will try out so much more because there are always new ideas coming round the corner
- You know who you like to be around and no longer have to spend pointless time with people who aren’t good for you
- You no longer have to be told what to do by someone you don’t appreciate
- You are still young at heart anyway
- You no longer have to stumble across dance floors at night or use Tinder to find your partner for life
- You no longer have to choose a career from 1001 options
- You no longer have to look for flats and ask for parental guarantees
- No one tells you when to go to bed anymore – and you no longer have a school-leaving certificate in front of you
- Your life is based on a clear set of values
- Your children have not yet snapped during puberty
- As far as I know, there are no menopausal symptoms yet
And I’m just going to stop at point 22, because that’s also a crazy number. I’m glad you’ve been around for 44 years and hope I can still send you words like this on your 88th birthday. Happy happy birthday and enjoy your day, your year and getting older, which only means that we are given even more time on this planet. And every day holds the chance to become great!
