Middle Age and Bragging Rights: It’s Our Time to Shine

Hope Daniels

Gen X women have truly lived! We've laughed, cried, sacrificed, and celebrated victories, and we still have much more spirit ahead of us. But let's be real—sometimes, amidst the chaos of work, finances, sickness, and the never-ending demands of motherhood, we forget how far we've come. It's easy to lose sight of our wins and losses until a monumental occasion, like a milestone birthday, suddenly has us reflecting on it all.

I remember back in high school, my friends and I kept photo albums (okay, I only kept one for all four years, unlike my friends who practically had a library collection with a Dewey Decimal system going on). Those albums captured the journey of growing up from the first day of school to end-of-year celebrations, school dances, sports, hangouts, crushes, and plenty of awkward outfits and goofing off. 

Anyone else’s kids absolutely appalled by the unfiltered and unedited versions of these cherished moments?

As I grew older, a little wiser and more mature, I threw myself into self-improvement and raising kids. For years, my mother-in-law has proudly shown off her "brag book"—a scrapbook of my kids' biggest achievements. It hit me I’ve got some wins of my own that deserve a page.

As milestone birthdays arrive (and menopause sends hot flashes as a wake-up call), I’m flipping the script. It’s time for a brag book that’s about me.

Most Likely To Never Stop Talking In Class

Looking back, I was a solid student. Could I have studied more? Sure. Could I have socialized less? FOMO. But by some fortunate stroke of good luck and keeping my innocent rebellion under the radar, I never suffered an episode like 'Donna Martin Graduate' or belted out 'I'm so excited' like Jessie Spano. I made it out alive!     

A Proud Quitter

Smoking cigarettes once felt like a rite of passage. A symbol of adulthood and maturity to me (cue the cringe). The skinnier the cigarette, the more badass I looked. How foolish I was!  

Layaway Girl

Being on a frozen yogurt salary—where are all my TCBY ladies at? My clothing options were limited. I had a decent sense of fashion and knew what I wanted, but I did not have the funds to assemble a complete look for less. Thankfully, I became savvier with my investments and bought a pair of designer pants with them. Goodbye, Z-Cavaricci dupes!  

Girls Just Wanna Run

I dreaded gym class. Playing dodgeball and running in front of my classmates—especially the boys—felt like an invitation for ridicule. I mean, think about it. They walked around with gel-spiked hair and mullets, yet I was the one being made fun of. Oh, how my life has changed. Running became a real passion. It became a tool for mental clarity and pushing my limits. After completing several 5Ks, I’m training for my first 6-mile race. The best part? I no longer care who's watching, and I know I could outrun those loudmouths from the past.

Honoring My Choices

My friends and I have recently been discussing what our kids will appreciate most about us when we are gone. Many of us sacrificed our careers for motherhood, but both roles are equally challenging. I didn’t fully grasp this concept as a child. My father went to work daily, while my mother ran errands and cared for the house. Meanwhile, I only wanted to watch MTV and enjoy hot pockets heated up in that new fancy invention called the microwave. As a mother, I’ve come to understand that we don’t just clock in and out; we don’t get hour-long lunch breaks. We work tirelessly to keep our kids healthy and happy. It will be rewarding to see them share stories about me…even if it’s just to their therapists.

Independent Big City Woman

There's an infamous, magical photo of my daughter, that captures her "Frozen," when she met her hero, Elsa, in the parking lot, but I deserve some pure admiration too. I met Bruce Willis at the China Club in the mid-90s. Enough said.

Rocking My Rhinestones

Meet the girl who spotted a trend before Hollywood caught on. My elegant junior prom cut-out tight dress adorned with large rhinestones was featured on a B-list actress on a popular prime-time show.  

Not Too Stiff

I graduated from college, gave birth to two children, bought a home, got a ticket for speeding, worked in radio and TV, and got married ALL without wearing high-quality hairspray. If that's not the epitome of letting go of the past, I don't know what is. 

Found Balance

When the non-fat diet craze promised results it couldn't deliver—I had the pounds to prove it—I never forgot my childhood dessert cravings. I can still devour a chocolate Jell-o pudding pie or Entenmann's crumb cake and appreciate the smell of hot cinnamon Pop-Tarts.

The Beauty of Resilience

When my daughter unwrapped her first American Girl Doll, I melted. She was enamored by this polished, glamorous doll that embodied femininity. However, it was completely opposite from my childhood doll, a Cabbage Patch Kid named Monroe, with bright red hair. It was hard to pretend how different we looked. However, he still received all my affection. Looking back, I am humbled by my open-mindedness in accepting a gift that may not be what was envisioned. I learned that perfection can be viewed from many different perspectives, and a good laugh can help us get through life, especially in middle age.

Love Yourself

As I prepare for midlife, I remember the girl I was. The carefree child who had no shame throwing on a black leotard and dancing to Flashdance as the unofficial entertainment at my big brother’s coed party. I think I was the icebreaker between the boys and girls (and possibly played matchmaker). I exuded confidence and fun. We need to tap into these nostalgic memories when we question our capabilities. Nostalgia is not just a trip down memory lane but a teachable moment to set our path forward. Growing up in the Gen X era was a badge of honor, and shockingly enough, I came out pretty damn good; I look forward to adding more life legacies to my brag book in the coming years. Watch out world.  

Hope Daniels humorously wrote about marriage, motherhood, and now middle age. She sounds exactly like the woman you just met at a party—and actually liked. With an honest voice and a refreshingly real take on life (the gifts and the slips), she embraces each new chapter with grace. She's excited to see what she will grow up to be during this stage, knowing the best is yet to come. Hope has written about lifestyle topics and trends, including parenting, fashion, decor, and fitness, for 20 years. Her work has appeared in Scary Mommy, Reader's Digest, WeTv.com, MSN.com, and Best of NJ, to name a few.