As my 56th year approaches, this midlife mama is more pensive than usual. More than anything, I’m grateful for the privilege of aging. I especially think of my beautiful, incredibly gifted brother who didn’t reach his 56th birthday.
Kevin’s life was short in years yet wide and deep, one that left an amazing legacy that touched others across the world. And all he did was show up as himself completely, honestly, and without shrinking.
Kevin’s life reminds me that being our genuine selves is a gift to the world. And it makes me think about how I show up.
I’ve started paying attention to the ways I’m changing. And, it’s nothing dramatic. It’s more like a slow, steady recalibration, the kind that unfolds when midlife asks: Who are you now?
For as long as I can remember I’ve heard, “Karin, you’re so thoughtful, so sweet, so kind.” And while I sincerely receive all of that with a thankful heart, I’ve often felt I had to show up in those ways to earn love, approval, and peace.
But midlife is teaching me that those qualities are just the doorway and that, more and more, I want to walk into the whole house. I want to show up not only as thoughtful, but also as grounded. Not only as sweet, but also as fully expressed. And not only as kind, but as rooted in my next chapter of life, too.
For me, midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s a loving invitation from God to live as the woman I am fully, and not just the one I thought I had to be. 🤎
Before you go, tell me:
Where is life inviting you to be more of your full self?
I’d love to know.
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