Among Generation X women, age 40 is party time - celebrating with girlfriend getaways or exotic no-kids vacations -
The Big 4-0 looms large for Jennifer O'Donnell of Sebastopol, Calif.
She turns 40 on Saturday. But she's not bemoaning the fact that she's on the cusp of middle age. She's planning to party.
"Turning 40 is a pretty big deal to most people," says O'Donnell, the mother of two, ages 3 and 6.
Since she and her sister-in-law Melyssa Watson both turn 40 within two weeks of each other and are good friends, the families are celebrating with a beach vacation. "On my actual birthday, my request is that I have a spa day," says O'Donnell, who works for a non-profit.
She's not alone by any means. Many of today's Gen X women see the Big 4-0 as the midpoint of their lives, and are embracing it with a new zest. They're celebrating with girlfriend getaways or exotic no-kids vacations with spouses, or making special family memories.
In many cases, it's a party. Whether a lavish spread or a gathering at home, these soirees are almost like a new Sweet 16. But rather than a coming-of-age statement, the 40th party is a way to proclaim they're healthy, they're sexy and they haven't lost their mojo.
"What we did is pretty decadent," says Christy Swildens of Tiburon, Calif., who flew to Mexico with her friends for her 40th last fall. "My mom thought it was pretty ridiculous. … Very few people were flying to Mexico with their friends just because they were 40. It is a very different time."
Sociologist Richard Settersten Jr., a professor at the Center for Healthy Aging Research at Oregon State University in Corvallis, attributes the attitude to societal changes such as marrying and having children at older ages. What used to happen in the 20s and 30s is moving into the 40s, he says.
"It naturally means your 40s are completely different. For many, the 40s are active years of childrearing. Just a couple of decades ago, the bulk of childbearing and childrearing was done by 40."
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