Thus begins the 40th year of Tim

For 40 days and 40 nights, I spent way too much time thinking about what I was going to write in this blog. And thankfully, now it’s over. Also, now I’m 40. Let me say that again. I’m 40.

The first morning of 40 started out like so many mornings do, with me cleaning up cat puke. Such a thoughtful gift from one of our two cats! Luckily I was able to spot said cat puke and avoid stepping in it with my bare foot as I did on New Year’s morning in 2019. The rest of the year went far better than that morning. Had that same thing happened on January 1, 2020, it would have been the most fitting of ways to start this awful, awful year.

After the clean up, I checked my phone to find several birthday wishes already waiting for me. I wake up at 6:15 most mornings. And there were multiple messages from people when I checked my phone for the first time at 6:30. Most of those messages were from parents on the east coast, as opposed to insomniacs on the west coast, as I first expected.

Does having kids turn you into a farmer? Why are you all up so early and on your phone? I don’t have children so I don’t know if keeping farmer’s hours is a side effect of bringing a child into this world, but it appears to be a pretty solid guess.

Much of the morning was rainy and cloudy. My birthday last year was a total washout. So it was looking like two consecutive rain-filled birthdays. And then the sun decided to show up fashionably late to my party. Once he showed up, it felt like a spring afternoon for my birthday with temperatures in the high 60s. I was outside in a t-shirt on my birthday. In Connecticut. I’m not complaining but I know that ain’t right.

I made my a rare visit to Facebook late last night. I posted a link to my birthday fundraiser in an effort to bring in some additional dollars for This is My Brave, since I knew Facebook would remind everyone that it was my birthday today and they’d go to my page and see the fundraiser at the top. And it worked! We’re a little over half-way there now and there’s still time to donate, if you can. Thank you to all those who have already made a donation!

And so I guess this is where we end our little journey. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, even if it was for just one post. I appreciate it. But if you’d like to read more than just one post, I’ve made it super easy for you by sharing links to my most popular posts below. Think of this like the montage CBS shows while “One Shining Moment” plays at the end of college basketball season. But with far less mascots and cheerleaders.

Here they are the top five most popular posts:

1. My Story isn’t Over, Oct. 6, 14 Days to 40
2. What’s the oldest item of clothing you still wear?, Oct. 2, 18 Days to 40
3. Happy 45th Anniversary Mom and Dad, Sept. 27, 23 Days to 40
4. 26 Days to 40: It’s a Marathon, not a Sprint, Sept. 24, 26 Days to 40
5. My Unfortunate Attempt at Reality TV and a Dream Job, Sept. 24, 25 Days to 40

That’s a wrap on 40 Days to 40. Thanks again. And feel free to stay in touch. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram. You can add me on LinkedIn, and I’ll eventually accept your request. But don’t add me on Facebook.

Tim Hammill is a communications professional in the nonprofit sector. He’s turning 40 on October 20, 2020. He’s writing about the final stretch to this milestone age in 40 Days to 40, a collection of stories, thoughts, reflections and whatever else comes to mind each day. In addition to writing a blog, Tim has also decided to donate his birthday to This Is My Brave, an organization he very recently learned about that brings stories of mental illness and addiction out of the shadows and into the spotlight. If you’d like to support Tim’s birthday fundraiser, go here.

Additionally, there are three other organizations that are close to Tim’s heart: Save the Children, Stand Up To Cancer and the Bridgeport YMCA. Click on each to learn more and to support their work.