Midlife Conversation #06: Erin Mount

More comfortable in my skin than ever before

and

May 02, 2025

Erin shares about the pressures of trying to meet impossible beauty standards, and it’s so relatable. I love the sense of freedom that comes through in her responses—using a literal hammer to break free—and hope that’s something we can all experience: liberation from whatever has held us captive in the past. - Melissa

When you were younger, what did you associate with the age of 40?

I honestly don’t think that I thought much beyond 30. Thirty was when I expected to be fully established as an adult: married, 2 kids, house, etc. Forty just seemed…very, very far away. I think by 40 I thought I’d have lots of gray hair and wrinkles. I wasn’t too far off. ;)

How did you feel about turning 40?

I’m 43, and I was very excited to turn 40. I spent a lot of my 30s trying to figure out who I was and also struggling to develop deeper relationships, but by the time I turned 40, I felt as though I was more comfortable in my skin than ever before. My 30s were really difficult. I had a lot of health challenges--both physical and mental--and I was hoping leaving my 30s meant leaving those problems behind. Ha! While that did not happen, I feel stronger and more equipped to handle difficulties.

What, if any, changes have you noticed as you’ve approached this age/stage of life?

Even though I weigh more now than I did when I started my 30s, I am more at home with myself and do not feel nearly as much pressure to live up to impossible beauty standards or be a slave to diet culture. I spent literal years of my life trying to shape my body into something it wasn’t meant to be, and it only led to bondage and unhappiness. One day I took a hammer to my scale, and the freedom I felt over not having that instrument in my bathroom taunting me made me feel lighter. I’m not perfect at this; I still tend to dread wearing a swimsuit, and I have to work really hard not to let the number on the scale at the doctor’s office dictate my mood for that day, but I have made a lot of progress.

I also know who my people are and feel settled in my relationships in a way I didn’t early in my 30s. I remember one time early in my 30s when my husband, daughter, and I were all hit with a stomach bug at the same time, and late one night I really needed help and realized I didn’t have any close friends I could call. It was a sad realization that prompted me to be more intentional in pursuing people. I learned to be open and vulnerable, and it has led to incredibly rich, meaningful friendships. I don’t know where I’d be without the friends I have!

What are 3-5 words you’d use to describe this phase of life?

Exhausting. Beautiful. Full.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Live like you know you are loved by the people who matter. Keep short accounts. Don’t be afraid to be the one to go first with the text, the dinner invite, the sharing of a secret. Seek the Lord always.

Where are some places you’ve seen a representation of this age that you liked?

I love Patricia Heaton’s character in the show The Middle. She’s imperfect and kind of a mess, but it’s so relatable! I love that she doesn’t have things all figured out and that she and her husband have to watch their spending and have a messy house and don’t have brand new cars. She seems like someone I could be friends with.

How did you celebrate this milestone birthday, if at all?

For my 40th I threw myself a backyard pizza party and invited all my family to come. I also had a night out with friends, and my coworkers surprised me with an Office-themed birthday party at work. I love celebrating my birthday, and my 40th year was a good one!

Erin Mount lives in West Tennessee with her husband, two girls, and a very entitled dog. When she's not working as a grant writer and event planner for a local nonprofit, she's driving her daughters all over town, reading a good fiction book, or enjoying her favorite past-time: napping. Her writing has been published by Fathom Mag and (in)courage, and Erin writes consistently on her Substack.