katie1341, Happy Birthday one day after the fact! I have been 45 for 8 months, and it has been the most comfortable age ever. Old enough to have gained wisdom and life experience, young enough to gain some more! 
Outspoken, yes I am, only there are those young un’s who actually listen now! Dress inappropriately, always a bit bohemian in the past, now it’s even more fun, as I can get away with more inappropriateness -the whole purple dress/red hat thing, I love it! The grey hair which is beginning to dominate my scalp, well, at least it’s a pretty silver grey, (think Emmylou Harris) and I have earned every one of those grey hairs! And as Jimmy Buffett sings, “Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been”.
I believe that what I like best about this age is the relaxation, the calmness, in my life. I still have my pet causes/peeves which I get hot over, but I am now better able to articulate my position without spiraling into either anger or tears, or both. I have gained an acceptance of how life works, and no longer moan about those things which are truly trivial, or about how “It’s not fair!” Those hot flashes bite, well, the entire men-on-pause thing bites, however, there is no more worry - ever - about am I pregnant and that is a good thing!!!
Enjoy, embrace, and revel in this time of life, I believe it’s as good as it’s ever going to be, right now. Childhood horrors over, elderly restrictions of the body and mind still to come, this is a golden age for me. I hope it will be for you, as well. Cheers!!!