SIX REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EMBRACE BEING FORTY

My daughter and I were debating the age old question of teen girls vs moms. I complained, "You guys have so many groups! The jocks, hipsters, nerds... You kids don't know who you are." 

She looked at me as only Bella can—serious, yet full of sassy rebellion.  Then she clapped back, "Well, for you guys it's easy. You only have one group—old and wrinkly."

And so we got into it. If you are forty and up, read on and embrace your experience and worldly perspective. If you're a teen, keep worrying that everyone is talking about your lazy eye behind your back.

1. Acne—Teens freak out over it, but I love it. The bigger my breakout, the younger I look. Don't tell me that's not true and that I need to see a dermatologist, Bella. Because while you were talking, I turned down the hearing aid you think I need, so I couldn't hear a word that you said.

2. Periods—We can agree that PMS and cramps are the worst, but for those of us with kids that are finally in high school and beyond, periods mean not having to change diapers. Read that again. #freedom

And those of us with teenage girls feel the same relief when they get their period. It's a crazy, hormonal cycle that eventually ends in hot flashes and yearnings for grandchildren—as long as they come with their own poop handlers.

3. Tanning (or lack of)—We worry about getting skin cancer and dying, while teens think that skin cancer won't ever affect them. 

But acne? Teens believe that the tiny breakout on their foreheads is really all over their bodies. And the only cure? Some Clearasil and a deep dark tan.

4. Being Looked At—Teens will Snapchat selfies all day long. But looking in their direction for longer than a millisecond is "embarrassing", "creepy", and "OMG everyone is staring at the huge zit on my chin!"....even (especially) if you're the teen's parent.

For those of us who are forty and over, if someone looks at us longer than it takes to mumble, "Sorry ", after bumping into us (because at this age we're virtually invisible), it's considered the best day ever.

5. Caring About What People Think—Teens do. If forty somethings did, we'd be perpetually tan and there'd be an honest to goodness law about fanny packs in place that would be punishable by death.

6. Love—This is something we can agree upon. Sometimes our partners are way different from us, but we want to love and be loved anyway. That is one of the things that always bridges the gap between our generations—along with shoes, ice cream, chocolate, and eventually wine.

CF Winn is the award-winning author of The COFFEE BREAK SERIES, a quirky group of short stories meant to be read while on break or in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Her first novella, SUKI, is published by Shorehouse Books and has been grabbing hearts and hugging souls all over the United States.

You can now order SUKI in paperback on Amazon or at BOOK REVUE, one of the nation’s largest independent bookstores, by email at info@bookrevue.com or by calling (631) 271-1442. Learn more about SUKI at BOOK REVUE http://www.bookrevue.com/localauthors.html
More posts like these can be found at Humor Outcasts and The Patch where she is a regular contributor.

CF Winn is the founder of Winning! Publications, a firm specializing in editing and promotion services for authors. Her latest project is the just released Trailer Trash, With a Girl’s Name, a hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy saddled with a girl’s name and forced into a nomadic existence. Order it now: http://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Trash-With-Girls-Name-ebook/dp/B00IX0MIAO