Day 29: Fifty One

As a general rule, birthdays just do not bother me.  Well, when I turned 31, that birthday bugged me a little because I was "over 30" . . . not just 30, but "OVER 30."  I don't know why that was so traumatic, but it was.  I cut my hair off from below my waist to over my ears.  I needed some drastic change to remind me I was young, and it was cheaper than a boob job, so I cut my hair.

But the rest of the birthdays, I have loved.   I love having a day that IS about me (true confession). And I love cake and presents and birthday cards.   And I love growing older.  Weird, I know.  But growing older means you are living.  And I am living and loving my life. 

I will say that at 3:00 a.m. this morning, when my husband said in his very groggy, middle of the night voice, "Happy Birthday Sweetheart"  I kinda felt old.  And for a second, I panicked!  I thought, "Oh my gosh, I'm 51.  I'm OVER 50!"  And as the panic of that threatened to take over my mind, and I realized my hair was already short and a boob job was out of the question, I exhaled and said, "I'm 51.  That's not old.  Heck, I'm 48 years younger than Sarah of the Bible was when she gave birth!"

I truly love my life and love the age I am.  You might say that my bucket is quite full.

I have an incredible husband whom I have known and loved for well more than half of my life. He has taught me much about life, and love, and living life to the fullest. He has strengthened my faith (trust me, I have spent a lot of time praying for and about this man!) The love of my youth is the love of my life.

I have grown ups for children.  I have a son who is married to a daughter-in-law that I adore.  I have a son who is in college getting a second degree.  I have seen the fruit of my labor ripen to maturity.  And it is good fruit.

And I am getting to experience motherhood a second time.  I have daughters!  Daughters!  Something I never imagined I would have in my lifetime, but something I am so grateful for.

That said, and at the risk of sounding like all that is not enough, I have decided to make a bucket list.

1.  Go to Italy someday.  Drink the wine there.  I hear it is amazing.
2.  Go see the Grand Canyon.  I grew up in Arizona and never saw it.
3.  See Wicked.  In New York would be best, but I'd love it anywhere.
4.  Rock lots and lots and lots of grandkids.
5.  I'd be okay with adopting some more kids if Mike was okay with it.
6.  Buy a house.  (I know, lame, but really . . .)
7.  See the Northern Lights in person.
8.  Take my mom on a fun trip together.  Just the two of us.
9.  Live on a farm, or at least out in the country.  But close enough to the city to do the things I love (like get pedicures and go to movies, and have dinner with my friends.)
10. Run a marathon. :-)


All that to say, I'm 51.  I've got a lot of life left in me.  And if my bucket list comes true, I'm going to have earned a LOT of frequent flyer miles.  (I had no idea I wanted to travel so much!)