Beyoncé is letting fans know she sees no problem with growing older and neither should they. The singer openly celebrated her age in a heartfelt letter expressing why she recently welcomed her 40th birthday with open arms.
On her official website, the 28-time Grammy winner shared a handwritten note thanking those who helped celebrate her milestone birthday, which is Sept. 4.
MORE: Beyoncé confirms she has new music on the way"This is the first year that I really understand what it means to be alive and to live in the moment," she wrote. "It's the first time that I have an understanding of how fragile life truly is, how hard life can be at times, and therefore how important it is to stop and smell the roses during the good times."
"I thought I knew that at 21 or 30...but I didn't," Beyoncé continued. "The more mature I become, the more I understand and the deeper my joy grows...I'm finally giving myself permission to enjoy the seeds I've worked so hard to plant my whole life."
She then took a stand against the idea that women have an expiration date or lose value after they reach a certain age.
MORE: Beyonce is now the performer with the most wins in Grammys history"Whoever tried to condition women to feel that we are supposed to feel old or unhappy when we turn 40 got it ALL THE WAY F'd UP," she quipped. "It has absolutely been the best I've felt in my life. I'm so grateful to be GROWN, GROWN!"
Beyoncé closed her poignant letter on a reminder that a good portion of her followers first met her when she was 15, when she was a member of Destiny's Child, and that she is honored to have been able to "bring a little joy" into her fans' lives over the many years.