Beyonc Writes Letter to Fans and Shares Thoughts on Turning 40

Beyoncé is thanking her fans for their outpouring of good wishes for her 40th birthday earlier this month.

The pop star shared a personal, handwritten note on her official website yesterday, expressing her gratitude to those who sent messages and created videos in celebration of her milestone birthday.

"I'm so thankful for every inspiring human who took the time to send me all the beautiful messages. I cried tears of joy and was covered in chilly bumps. Your videos, your posts, your countdowns, your playlists and your well wishes, I will cherish forever," Beyoncé wrote. "I'm grateful to everyone involved, especially the fans, for the time and level of detail it took to organize such beautiful tributes. I admire and respect all of you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

beyonce.com

The singer also reflected on what it means to turn 40 as a woman who's been in the spotlight since she was a teenager.

"This is the first year that I really understand what it means to be alive and to live in the moment. 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," she continued. "The more mature I become, the more I understand and the deeper my joy grows. There's a freedom and liberation knowing that I've made it to the other side of my sacrifice. I'm finally giving myself permission to enjoy the seeds I've worked so hard to plant my whole life."

Beyoncé concluded her letter by pointing out that all women deserve to feel fabulous at 40.

"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. This has absolutely been the best I've felt in my life. I'm so grateful to be GROWN, GROWN!" Bey wrote. "Most of y'all met me when I was 15, and we have grown up together. You bring sooooo much joy into my life. I hope my art can continue to bring a little joy into yours."

Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed. 

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