I had kids in my 40s. As my friends become empty nesters, being an older mom actually makes me feel younger.

• Some people were judgmental when I had my second child at the age of 44.
• I love being an older mom. My husband and I had kids at the right time for us.
• Though there are some challenges, the joy far outweighs any negatives.

People were overwhelmingly kind when I had my first son at 42, in part because I'd had three previous miscarriages and motherhood felt like a miracle. But when I had my second at 44 — two under 2! — there were a lot of questions and side-eyeing from friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. (Even though I felt like I'd won the lottery twice.) Some of these questions felt a little judgy.

"What if something happens to you before your kids are grown?" was one of them. Well, something could happen to any of us at any time. Nothing is guaranteed.

Another question was, "Are you sad that you may not live to see your grandchildren?" And the thing is, no matter when I had them, my kids may not ever choose to have children of their own. Besides, I had kids because I wanted to be a mother, not because I wanted to be a grandmother.

I also heard, "Do you worry you won't have the energy to keep up with them?" Yes, young children take a lot of energy. Every parent gets tired, and we find a way to keep going.

No matter what my answer to any question was, the follow-up response was almost always an incredulous "I could never do it."

Now that my kids are 15 and 13, I can honestly say I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

We had our kids at the right time for us

Being an older mom has made me a better parent in ways I never anticipated. I'm way more patient than I would've been in my 20s or 30s. By the time my kids came into the world, I had learned to roll with whatever life threw at me. And now that my kids are teenagers, I feel like I can offer the kind of wisdom that only time and experience could give me.

My marriage and career were also well-established before my kids entered the picture. My husband and I had been married for almost 20 years — all of them while he was in the Navy — when our oldest was born. We'd had two decades to build our relationship and weather life's storms together, including many Navy deployments.

That foundation has helped us stay close through the ups and downs of parenting. We were also in a much better place financially than we were in those early years, living paycheck to paycheck.

But here's the thing no one told me about being an older mom: it has made me feel younger than my actual age. Many of my peers are now empty nesters who are downsizing to 55+ communities and discussing retirement plans, with grandkids who aren't much younger than my own children.

Meanwhile, I'm helping with homework, packing school lunches, and planning our spring break trip. Instead of slowing down, I've been running (sometimes literally) alongside my kids for the past 15 years, seeing the world through their eyes and developing a newfound sense of wonder and curiosity myself.

There are some challenges, but the joy outweighs everything

It's not always easy. There are days when I wish I had the energy reserves of my 25-year-old self and days when, yes, I wonder if I'll be here for their major life milestones.

Sometimes, I feel like I don't fit in with the other, younger moms, and times when I do envy my empty-nester friends whose schedule isn't tied to the school calendar. But I never question whether having kids in my 40s was the right decision for me. The challenges of being an older mom are far outweighed by the joy and appreciation I have for this season of my life.

So when people say, "I could never do that," I can't help but smile. Because being an older parent has less to do with the year I was born than it does with what I've chosen to do with the time I've been given. And I'd do it all over again.