08/19/2026
40 Things I’ve Learned by 40
Apparently I’m 40 now.
Four decades of life, friendships, love, airplanes, weddings, flowers, cooking for way too many people, helping build a business, and chasing some pretty ridiculous ideas have taught me a few things.
So, in honor of 40:
1. You don't have to have it all figured out before you start.
2. Some of the best things in my life started with “What if we…”
3. Choose someone who will build the crazy dream with you.
4. Feed the people you love.
5. The weather will do whatever it wants. Have a backup plan.
6. You can make a plan. You can also change the plan.
7. Pretty things still require a lot of dirty work.
8. Some seasons are for growing. Some are for resting.
9. Traditions don't have to be inherited. Sometimes you get to create your own.
10. Good friends are worth making time for.
11. You can love what you do and still be tired.
12. Sometimes you just have to plant the flowers and see what happens.
13. Apparently, “having a few friends over” means cooking for two days.
14. There will always be another email.
15. Take the trip.
16. Set the table. Use the good dishes.
17. Take the picture even when you don't feel picture-ready.
18. Celebrate the little things. They're usually the big things later.
19. You don't need everyone's approval to build a life you love.
20. Comparison can steal the joy out of almost anything.
21. Your definition of success is allowed to change.
22. Starting over isn't the same thing as starting from scratch.
23. Being busy and moving forward aren't always the same thing.
24. People may forget the details, but they remember how you made them feel.
25. Hospitality isn't about everything being perfect. It's about making people feel welcome.
26. Some of the best nights happen around your own table.
27. Champagne is appropriate for more occasions than people realize.
28. Flowers don't care about your schedule.
29. Neither do weddings.
30. Neither does Mother Nature.
31. Apparently, I enjoy businesses that depend heavily on all three. 😂
32. The things that scare you a little are often worth doing.
33. Protect your peace like it's part of the business plan.
34. Home isn't always a place. Sometimes it's a person.
35. Seeing more of the world can make you appreciate home in an entirely different way.
36. There is something incredibly satisfying about growing something with your own two hands.
37. You can build a life you never knew to ask for.
38. Getting older is a privilege.
39. Forty doesn't feel nearly as old as I once thought it sounded.
40. And I have a feeling the best stuff hasn't happened yet.
Here's to Chapter 40.
More flowers. More adventures. More dinners around the table. More time with the people I love. More things grown with my own two hands. And definitely more ridiculous ideas that somehow turn into real things.
Let's see what 40 brings.
