article_snippet: so it's not a shock for me any more. '
article_snippet: Turning 40 coincided with a great sense of relief that my life was stable and on an even keel after a difficult first half. '
article_snippet: In fact 40 was a great turning point for me, and it's been good ever since. '
article_snippet: , so I was quite surprised, as the big day loomed, how not elderly I felt. '
article_snippet: In fact, it's a bigger shock to the system than when I turned 40. '
article_snippet: In my head I still feel about 38, so to have a child of 40 is a startling reality check.
article_snippet: It's been very reassuring to talk to my mother and grandmother about turning 40 though because I have been surprised at how downhearted it's made me feel. '