I turned 50 today.
I cannot believe I am 50.
Seriously.
How the hell am I 50?
OLD PEOPLE ARE 50.
Not me.
I don’t feel 50. Not on the inside, and not really on the outside, either.
But you know what?
Even though I’m still having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I’m now in my 50’s, I am happy to be here.
Because I am happy I didn’t turn 20 today.
I was incapable of being honest with myself then.
I’m glad I didn’t turn 30 today.
I was majorly fucked up when I was 30.
I’m glad I didn’t turn 40 today.
When I turned 40 I was a fairly new parent, and I knew a fraction of what I know now.
Like a fraction of a fraction.
Of a fraction.
But the best thing about turning 50 is that I am finally okay with who I am.
I am proud of the work I’ve done on myself.
I have more work I want to do.
But some things I’m okay with. Some things I don’t want to change.
If other people don’t like that?
It’s taken me 50 years to figure out that those are just not my people.
I’m not for them.
And that’s okay.
There are like 7 billion people in the world, and there are plenty to go around for all of us.
So I’m pretty okay with me.
What did I do today on my birthday?
Well, I spent the day with Number 4, celebrating her birthday, really.
We actually had a blast. I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow.
There was no big celebration for my 50th.
I would have liked one, yes.
I would have appreciated a big surprise party or a special weekend away or a trip somewhere or a day at the spa or even a gift from anyone in my family.
My parents did give me a gift.
And Number 5 went to a birthday party last week and she went to the Pottery Factory and she made soap and she made two bars and she surprised me with one of them for my birthday.
She’s the only person in my house who really thought about me.
Number 3 did give me a card. But that’s because my parents bought it for him to give to me on the way home from swim practice tonight.
I guess I’ll take what I can get.
I don’t say this to complain or whine.
I say this because while I do wish my family had done something nice for me, I do not need my family to celebrate me.
Because goddammit I am going to celebrate myself.
I am going to celebrate how hard I have worked to become the person I am today.
I am going to celebrate me.
It may not be this year.
It may be next year.
It may be in February, for crying out loud.
But there is no way I am going to NOT celebrate this milestone. Because 50 is kind of a big deal (to me anyway).
And I don’t need to wait for other people to celebrate me.
If there is one thing I’ve learned over the past 50 years it’s that I don’t need to wait for other people to do anything.
Nope.
The first fifty years were full of many important lessons.
And as my first college swim coach used to say,
I’ve paid the piper.
And now it’s time to dance.
Wanna look cute while you work out?
Wanna look cute while you don’t work out?
JOIN MY BADASS ZYIA COMMUNITY.
Happy Birthday!!! 🛍 🍧 👑 🎈 🎊 🎂 🎁 🎉 50 is definitely worth celebrating!
Happy Birthday!! Many years ago, a good friend decided that her 40th birthday was such a significant milestone that, damn it, she was going to celebrate it all year long, like the Queen’s Jubilee! That’s when we decided to dub all significant year birthdays, from 40 on, Jubilees. HAPPY JUBILEE, SUSIE!! This IS to be celebrated for a full year! When I turned 50, I felt the freak out coming many months before, so I got busy planning for fun jubilee events — one per quarter, and that turned everything around for me. Instead of curling up in fetal position for a year, I volunteered for Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, because I wanted to attend his inauguration as one of my jubilee celebrations (and I did!). I volunteered on a Habitat For Humanity Global Village trip to Egypt snd helped build a house there because I wanted a jubilee volunteer vacation, etc. etc. It was such a fabulous jubilee that I was eager and excited to plan my 60th Jubilee, which is the current year. I’m flying to Seattle this morning for another third quarter jubilee celebration — this one with the very circle if friends who named these significant year birthdays. We even have a jubilee banner now that we pass from person to person to use to mark the occasion!
I’m sorry there wasn’t more of a celebration of you from your family on your actual birthday. Tell them that it matters; ask for more of them, and tell them it’s your jubilee and they have many more chances to CELEBRATE YOU!! If I can, I’ll post a photo of me with my jubilee banner from my recent Jubilee Hiking Trip in the Canadian Rockies, and tag you on Instagram. Take the idea and run with it!! YOU ROCK!!
Happy birthday.
Happy birthday!
When my Mum turned 50, she made a list of 50 things to do in her 50s. Loads of different things like seeing a West End show (we live in the UK), climbing 5 mountains, learning to juggle, going on a hot air balloon ride, sorting out her old family photos, going to Canada on holiday, etc. Some were really specific to her interests, some were totally new things and some were things she had wanted to do for years but not done. She’s 60 in March and while she hasn’t managed to do her whole list, she’s had a lot of fun trying!
I was single at 50 and dating. I remember the first time I was talking to someone and said I was about to turn 50 and he told me I was “too old.” I was never considered too old at 49, how could one year matter? Fortunately I met my Mr Right a few months later. We connected immediately. He didn’t care about my age. He didn’t care that I had four children. We were right for each other and that was enough. I’m now 69, he just celebrated his 63rd birthday and we’ve been married for 12 years.
Happy Birthday! You are so worth celebrating. Many blessings I love 50’s.
Welcome to FAB and 50! The best is yet to come!
Happy Birthday!