About the Birthday Girl
Turning 50 will cause one to ponder just about everything. My pondering began when I turned 49 with the sudden realization that when I turned 50 years and 6 weeks, I would be older than my mother when she died. I’m not really sure why this came as such a surprise 20 years later. Perhaps when I was 29 and attending her funeral, 50 still seemed a little distant and… old. My viewpoint on that has definitely changed!
Perhaps it was the realization that if I live to be 100, I’ve lived half of my life. [Hence one part of the blog name It’s 50/50.] And, if I live to a more average age, say in my late 70’s or early 80’s, I crossed the midpoint some time ago.
Suddenly, a sense of urgency to take stock of my past, present and future began pinging around in my head. And then, a funny thing happened. My heart filled with gratitude, appreciation, love, and energy. I realized how thankful I am for everything that’s been part of my journey. The good, the bad, the ugly and the fabulous. I thought about all of people I’ve known who never made it to their 50th birthday. I thought about how incredible it is to have love all around me in the form of my husband, son, sisters, grandmother, family, friends and colleagues. I thought about how much I love all of the little things in my life. Like a blinding flash, it hit me: being apprehensive about turning 50 was small-minded, self-limiting and just plain wrong.
So, the bottom line? No black balloons for this girl! I decided my 50th milestone would be marked with a year-long celebration of life. I'm going to take the time each month to explore, to challenge myself, to visit friends I’ve haven’t seen in awhile, to learn something new...and to just have fun.
Then, the idea of writing a blog hit me. Why not share The Year of 50? And, in addition to my celebration, why not really amp it up and celebrate the positive aspects of everyone’s life? So, the concept was formed to chronicle my year of celebration and ask others to submit a photo and a short description of their own special birthday, life event, achievement or fun activity. I hope you’ll join the party – just check out the Celebrate section to learn more.
What’s the other reason this project is called It’s 50/50? Kevin, husband extraordinaire, turns 50 this year too; so there’s two of us on this adventure. He’s going to celebrate right along with me! Stay tuned and watch for new postings in the It’s 50/50 section to check out the party. And, remember, whatever your age, celebrate a little yourself.
Valerie