James Van Der Beek celebrated his 46th birthday recently with those who mean the most to him: his wife and their six children.
The "Dawson's Creek" alum shared a photo of himself and his kiddos to Instagram on Wednesday alongside a poetic caption in which he said "middle-age rocks."
"46 trips around the sun..." he wrote. "I've been feeling into a new relationship with time, lately. I used to try to bend it to my will: Speed it up, squeeze more into it, short cut it. Or panic at its passing. Or just ignore it altogether.
MORE: James Van Der Beek and wife Kimberly welcome 6th child after 2 pregnancy losses"But recently, I've found myself happier the more I'm in touch with reverence, and deference to time. Yes, it CAN be stretched. It can fly..." he continued. "But this planet, this dimension, is governed by time: Trees grow at their pace. The earth spins at a near constant. And the more reverence I can find for all of it, the more life becomes a living prayer of appreciation. For life. For nature. For the great cosmic mystery of which we can sometimes can catch the edges."
Van Der Beek said that in coming to this realization, he found it became "easier ... to root in the present, open to the perfection of a process I was never meant to control."
His wife Kimberly Van Der Beek, whom he married in 2010, also shared an Instagram post for her husband's special day, calling him a "safe space" for their little ones.
"@vanderjames, the safe space for all these daughters of yours to be fully embodied, the safe space for our sons to be vulnerable in who they are, sensitivities, strength, kindness... my person and partner in life -- the one that I untether and rebraid with," she wrote.
"I love you. The kids love you. We are all so grateful for you and who you are," she continued. "Happy 46th birthday!"
She added, "And might I add.... you're the hottest you've ever been. Ever."
The Van Der Beek family relocated from California to Texas in 2020.
