The Journal · This Is 40
This Is 40, Season 2: The YOLO Era (And I Mean That Wholeheartedly)
Two degrees, a first car, a marriage, a baby, a divorce, and a life lived like a book someone would one day read.
Pat Ricia7 November 20263 min read
Oh, this season.
Losing my mum at 13 sent me into the world with something to prove. But I had my grandmother’s voice in my head: “You’ll be alright. Handikutyire.” I’m not worried about you. So I lived like it.
I was wild. I was free. I lived in the moment like it owed me money. College was a blast. I got my first degree, went straight on to my master’s, loved deeply, made mistakes gloriously, got my first job, bought my first car (proudest moment), got married, had a baby, got divorced. Whew.
It was a whirlwind. A beautiful, messy, unforgettable storm.
Un-put-down-able
I had a friend during that time, and we used to say to each other: “We’re living our lives like it’s a book. And one day, someone is going to read it. By God, it had better be a bestseller. Un-put-down-able.”
Well, sis, that book was spicy. And you know what? Zero regrets. Not one.
What Season 2 taught me
You can survive losing the person who gave you life and still build a life worth reading about.
Grief and joy can live in the same heart. Let them.
And that never-say-die spirit my grandmother saw in me? It will carry you through more than you know.
But even the wildest storms eventually calm. And when mine did, I found myself standing at a crossroads. Ready for something deeper. Ready for Season 3.
About the author
Pat Ricia is a Zimbabwean writer and entrepreneur based in the UK, writing about faith, purpose, womanhood and intentional living. Read her story.