I think my Mom got her first pair of glasses when she turned 40 so it doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch that I might follow suit.

 
Also, it confirms (at least to me) the “Are you sure you’re my birth mother?” question that my six year old asks me repeatedly, several times a day.

 
“You’ll find out on your 40th birthday at your eye exam, Chloe. Just like the rest of us.”

 
I guess I thought I would just continue to gradually deteriorate, develop a few aches, create a sewing room in my home and just enjoy this natural decent into old age and ultimate blindness.

 
You can’t really argue with an Optometrist. I’ve only had two eye exams in the past five years (that I can remember….because I’m 40 now) and in both scenarios, I thought I could trick the Doctor into thinking my vision was perfect.

 
I would click the mouse when I saw the flicker and sometimes when I didn’t. Spoiler alert: they have a test for that too.

 
This time, I tried to memorize the board with the letters because I was in the room with my 10 year old who had her exam minutes before mine.
I would be the first person in history to figure out this loophole. Except memorizing the board didn’t help when the letters seemed so very different when it was my turn. They must have a spare for these rare occasions. That or my eyes were so bad, memorizing the “P” didn’t really matter because my stubborn side would insist it was a “Q.”

 
I was told I don’t need glasses (yet). That I can legally drive without them (for now).

 
And so I put it off.

 
But then, my six year olds’ teacher posted a picture Chloe had made with the words, “Lily has a bog” and in that moment I realized my eyes were so bad, they were turning “d’s” into “b’s” so off I went to the most trusted experts in eyewear—my friendly, neighbourhood Costco.

 
The Costco Optometrist/Cardboard Box Finder knew exactly what I was looking for. A pair of glasses that would retail for one cent less than our annual benefits would cover (taxes included of course).

 
I tried on about ten pairs, picked up a bathing suit, a bag of walnuts that should last until my 12 year old graduates from high school and some frozen mango chunks that will require an extension on our freezer.

 
Look out world. I can see clearly now….