Beyoncé's Incredibly Sweet Letter to Fans For Her 40th Birthday Has Us Tearing Up

At this point in her career, Beyoncé's birthday (Sept. 4) has become somewhat of a worldwide holiday during Virgo season, which fans go all out for every year. Just like many of her past birthdays, this year, the Beyhive flooded social media with all their favorite Beyoncé songs, videos, and moments to celebrate her turning 40. However, instead of only letting fans shower her with love this time around, Bey decided to return the favor and formally thank her loyal fan base for all their support in a heartfelt handwritten letter posted on her official website.

"I'm so thankful for every inspiring human who took the time to send me all the beautiful messages," she wrote in her note. "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. 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."

The letter wasn't just a chance to say thank you to her fans; Bey also reflected on her life now that she's "GROWN, GROWN," as she put it. "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. I thought I knew that at 21 or 30 . . . but I didn't. 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."

She also called out an inspiring message to women in her age bracket. "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 wrote. "This has absolutely been the best I've felt in my life." She wrapped up her sweet note by reiterating her "deep, deep, deep" love for her fans who have ridden out this journey with her since she was 15 years old.