Life begins at 40?

Today, December 26 is my 40th birthday. How time flies I’m already 40, it’s just like yesterday when I was studying and working at the same time to earn my college degrees and my post graduate study. It was as if yesterday when I was dreaming of becoming rich, owning a very nice car and having a big house but I remain to be materially marginalized. It was as if yesterday when I had my countless conversations with my father who died thirteen years ago; it was as if yesterday when I married my beautiful wife but that was almost twelve (12) years ago and it was as if yesterday when we were deputized by our Bishop to officially become Extra- Ordinary Ministers of the Holy Communion. There’s a whole lot of: “as if yesterdays” memories that seems still within my reach but it’s beyond me already. I just have to look back and relish those memories once in a while.

I’m in the irreversible present and I’m forty (40), they say: “life begins at forty” I don’t know who coined this quote that our life begins at forty. I beg to disagree, life doesn’t begin at forty. Life begins when we were freed from the doctrine of Original Sin and we officially become a member of the Universal Church. That’s our Baptismal date but the funny thing is: we remember our birthday but doesn’t know our Baptismal date.

Life begins when we become aware of our responsibilities towards our family, our fellowmen and God. Responsibilities that reminds us that we don’t live for our own self-centered sake.

Life begins at forty? I beg to completely disagree!