Turning 40

I recently crossed the 30s and earned a level up in life. Ah, the 40s! For those of you wondering, it’s not as scary as it sounds. Yet.

It's not as scary as it sounds, yet.

The thing is, it’s the first time that I have turned 40, so all this is pretty new to me.

In my final evening as a 39-year-old, I came home late from work, spent some time writing articles, listened to my son lecture me on Sprunki (whatever that is), and had an early dinner. I spent the final few hours as a 39-year-old thinking about football and listening to some of my favorite music.

The clock struck 12 and boom! I was a year older. I was no longer in my 30s, and I was officially a middle-aged man.

My wife would probably argue that I have been a middle-aged man for a while, but let's not go into any controversies.

How (not) to spend you 40th Birthday

Is there a code to spending your Birthday?

People go out, party around, have the time of their lives to celebrate the big day of their lives. I believe one should squeeze in all of your favorite things to do on your birthday and ensure you do all of them.

The thing is, when you are in your 40s, your favorite things could be a tad boring. And so I spent a relatively boring birthday. I wrote, I listened to music, I played with my son, and prepared for his birthday, which, interestingly, is the following day! Impressive, right?

In short, I had a brilliant birthday.

To make things even better, Manchester United had a game that evening, which was the icing on the cake. Although there was also a literal cake! My lovely wife wasn't about to let me rest without formally announcing that I have grown older, which meant that during half-time, with the Red Devils losing 1-0, I had to cut the cake, literally.

What's a birthday without a cake?

No matter how old you are, you always feel younger when you cut a cake. Which is an irony, when you think about it.

So I cut a beautiful chocolate cake with my family by my side, one eye on the half-time analysis on Sky Sports. Messi was particularly pleased with the developments, and my wife had arranged for a killer cake too,

I took a bigger bite than I was allowed, but not more than I could chew.

The rest of the evening turned out to be even better. Manchester United, perhaps out of pity for me, equalized through Rasmus Hojlund in the dying moments of the game.

Wasn't good enough, but given the season so far, it felt godsent. Especially with that crucial Europa League Quarterfinal against Athletic Bilbao up next.

At the final whistle, we went out for a family dinner, to celebrate me adding one more year to my life, and Manchester United securing a hard-earned league point!

We ordered tea and snacks and the main course. I indulged into a game of Tissue Paper Ball with my seven-year-old.

The food was good, marking a glorious end to a glorious day.

What does growing old mean?

We are all in a losing battle with time. We will age, we will wither, we will never be the same.

When you turn older, it is important to be at peace with the person you have become. And it is important to have the right people around you. A family to hold you close. Friends who remember that you are getting older, and are quick to remind you the same.

And it is important to have something to look forward to in life.

It can take a few days to adapt to a new age. To feel a year older. You could count your grey hairs, your missing teeth, and check your receding hairline to get a feel of it.

I know that I am no longer the man I was a decade ago. And that’s okay. What is important is that in the year ahead, I try to be better. A better Father. A better Son. Perhaps even a better Husband, if that was possible.

So here's to a great year ahead for everyone growing old gracefully, like me. Let the child in all of us stay alive till our final days.

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