Surviving the "Big One"

These super cute paper dolls remind me of my girls' early childhood, when Madeline was a (well, my) favorite book...it was only about 25 years ago...whoa...where have the years gone? You are NEVER too old for paper dolls!

You can never have too much birthday. And by "too much birthday," I'm talking about "the celebrating of the birthday," not the actual birthday itself because indeed you can have too many birthdays. So glad we don't have two birthdays a year; in that case I would be 120 right now. Sometimes I feel 120 years old!

Many days I feel, hmmm, about 31 exactly...old enough to be accepted as a somewhat-mature adult with a little experience under her belt but still young enough to have ample energy. The thirties and forties rock! If you are in your thirties or forties, girl, be glad because you're in your prime! But all it takes somedays to make me feel my age again is to have a week or so where I'm racing with the clock every single day to be somewhere, get something done and have my inner clock on "repeat" so that it starts all over the next day. On these days I really feel my age (60 but not a day older!). And if I can squeeze it in, a wee nap is required or at least an earlier bed time. Lack of the proper sleep will age me every time. As I have grown a little older and I'd like to think much smarter, I have found the significance of slowing down a bit, being able to stretch things out if you will, and being blessed to not have to push myself as hard. I am very grateful to be at a place in my life where I am able to do that. I also MUST do it, because anything else makes me a grouchy Greta and nobody likes a grouchy Greta. I myself don't even like grouchy Greta. If your name is Greta, please do forgive. 

So, in spite of what I feared, I totally survived my 60th birthday. Except for the sweet birthday party my hubby gave me with family all around and a couple of my besties as well, life dawned the day after just as it has for the last 60 years. And except that I have a few more aches and pains now and I sometimes get a shock when I glance in the mirror (is that REALLY me?), things remain pretty much the same. Well, one other thing: knowing my son is coming up on his 40th birthday this fall is simply hard to believe. Ugh, that does make me feel old! But there are so many things that are wonderful about being older. First of all, you've earned the right to have your own opinion and not be dissed for it. Of course, maybe you are dissed for it, but it just might be that you don't care as much about what others think! So what if you don't agree with me? It's not the first time, and it certainly won't be the last! You also find that folks seek out your wisdom much more during the 50-and-older years so it does make you feel as though you have gleaned a little life experience over the many birthdays you've logged and have something to contribute. You're excused for a lot of things that younger people would not be excused for (being tired more often, forgetting things, playing dumb if it's something you do not want people to know, saying the wrong thing at the wrong time). I could go on and on about the attributes of growing older because I've experienced them all. But one fact remains regardless of who it is: Everyone gets older and time is no respecter of persons. When it's your time to turn 60, you turn 60. The only alternative to getting older is -- well, you know. I'd rather be 6-0 above the ground than six feet under any day. A young man serving my food recently said "Any day I'm above the ground and not below it is a good day." I couldn't agree more.

But as I officially have passed the milestone of 60 and in most places have earned the title of "Senior Adult," I can mostly say that life has been extremely good to me, and that my blessings at this stage of my life are too many to count. Take my friends, for example. This time 30 years ago, I could not truthfully say that I had the best friends a gal could ever wish for. Now I can. At least one lasting friendship is the one thing in life that everyone hopes for but not everyone achieves, and something which takes many years to accomplish if you ever do actually accomplish it. As I've said before, close friends rank right up there with family and really are family because in times of crises, no one on the outside looking in can even distinguish the difference between those who have been with you since the beginning of time and those who have just been around since the second or third act. For this reason, I consider the latter half might possibly be the best. Now, I know a lot of folks would disagree with me on that one but, hey, I'm a senior adult now and I'm entitled to my opnion. Plus, it doesn't matter if I liked the earlier years better, they are gone forever and this is what I have right now at this moment in time. Might as well try to enjoy it, right?

And when it comes to enjoying it, you also have the privilege at this stage of life to continue celebrating your birthday as long as you want to, did you know that? Yes, you officially have permission to do that very thing. It is now a couple of weeks past my actual birthday but tonight I am going to a birthday dinner with my best friends because we are all busy and this is the first night we could all get together. NICE. I don't mind celebrating my birthday again. After all, it means another delicious meal, a most decadent dessert to share around a table, and the best conversation and laughter ever known to exist. Another perk of getting older? Being able to laugh hysterically in public and nobody says a word! My hubby says every single year that I celebrate my birthday longer than anyone else he knows (I think he's just jealous, haha). But, hey, if you can stretch it out a little longer, why wouldn't you? 

After all, 60th birthdays only come around once in a lifetime.

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