Happy Birthday to Me

A portrait of the author as a young man Today I turn 40. It’s an obvious opportunity to reflect on life, mortality, and meaning. 40 carries a lot more weight than 30 did: I remember when my parents turned 40. Not only was I alive but I was able to understand the concept of aging and the existential questions that arise with it. So it’s easy to use my parents’ 40th birthdays in juxtaposition to my…