Well, today is my birthday. This is 50. It’s hard to believe I am half a century old. How did this happen?? I remember when 50 was so old! And now here I am…adolescent old age, the youngest of the old people, old people Freshman class! (Check out the IG link). But I guess it’s better than the alternative! 50 is daunting because most likely you have lived more than half of your life, which can be sad.
Last year, I read a post by SARK about recognizing birthdays as levels because it is a blessing to be getting older and achieving another day, another year, another level. Therefore, today I am going up to Level 5.0, and I am going to be grateful for it. I am going to be grateful for having spent a week with my family coming out to Utah to see me. I am going to be grateful for friends who made the trip. I am going to be grateful to live in this beautiful world in which we live. So here I am, and this is 50.
I am extremely grateful for the life I have. Even though there have been many losses that have left a few big holes in my heart, I am thankful for the support, the amazing people in my life, and the opportunities that have been presented to me. I wouldn’t trade all the relationships that didn’t work out, all the jobs that sent me down different roads, or all of the choices that led me to where I am today. You are never too old to take a leap of faith. Quitting my career at 39 years old and moving to Thailand was the best decision I ever made!
This is 50, and my bucket list continues. My goal was to get to all 50 states by 50, but I missed it by one, Oregon. I was supposed to go last November, but My Prince’s work trip got changed, and that opportunity was missed. Hopefully, I can get there this summer. I have been to the Minneapolis airport, and that’s my “official visit” so far, but I would like to see more of Minnesota. And there are many states I would like to go back to.
In my fifty years, I am gaining on my goals of getting to all seven continents and as many countries as possible. I never thought I would be a skier, but now I have 29 different ski resorts under my belt on the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia. I have also been to 25 countries, which isn’t too shabby for a small town girl.
So this is 50. There are more lines on my face. There is more gray in my hair. It’s harder to lose weight. There are curves where there weren’t. I am trying to embrace these changes that come with aging. I am trying to appreciate all that I have in this life. I try to create memories instead of collecting stuff (although I do like to buy souvenirs). I try to see the positive of a situation instead of looking at the negative (which isn’t always easy). But life on this planet is short, and we need to live life to the fullest.
I hope that whatever level you are at, you are taking advantage of the opportunities on this Earth. There is so much to see and do, and you never know when your time to go to Heaven will be.