There's something about your forties

Middle age, middle life

There’s something about your forties
Middle age
Middle of life
Middle of many lives
Parents, kids, friends
And your own

Your parents enjoy, struggle with retirement
Your kids are so damn amazing
but so damn expensive
AARP starts mailing you too early
but reminds you what’s coming 
(Though the discounts are impressive)
Oh, 
and by the way,
There’s this new tech that’s disrupting
everything 
Yup, there’s that

Your body carries four decades 
of moving, siting, failing, hoping
Striving to health but little parts breaking
Your left heel pain spikes
Twinge in the right shoulder 
Left knee feels funny after 3 on 3
Can’t guard like you used to 
(and you never could defend)

Are you over the hill,
the path dipping down
as the sun starts its descent?

And there’s just no time
Call to zoom to drop off to meeting to coffee to meeting to workout to pickup to meal to a little Netflix to bedtime

You need a minute
Just a minute
To breathe
Just breathe
Don’t skip steps 
See this wild mess
Your middle age
Your middle life
Thank your parents, who had it much harder
Cherish your kids, who have it much easier
Hold your spouse, who’s right there with you
To know
without evidence
without certainty
That everything,
Everything
is 
   gonna 
        be 
           alright.

You just need a minute