Another turn around the sun has brought me to fifty. As I always do on my birthday, I wished my Winnie the Pooh a happy birthday as we have shared this day since the day I turned one. Winnie looked slightly dismayed when I told him I was fifty today. He was doing the calculations in his head and, although he is a bear of very little brain, he slowly realized it will be his turn next year.
I remember my dad giving my mom a birthday card on her fiftieth that read, “Fifty and Fabulous” and I could have sworn he was being a lovely husband and cushioning the blow for what must have been a traumatic event for my mom. But he was bang on. Somewhere along my path to get here, I stopped worrying about the numbers and concentrated on my happiness and I truly do feel fabulous.
I have forgiven myself for the mistakes I made in my past and left them in the past where they belong. I have stopped defending the fact I am single woman, happily living life on my own in my little house. I have stopped trying to convince people that alone does NOT mean lonely. I have given myself permission to be a bit selfish sometimes and practice saying the word, NO. And I have found great humility in volunteering my time to help my fellow community members.
Fifty is what you allow it to be and, for me, fifty just proves the year on my birth certificate is correct and nothing else. Happy fiftieth birthday to me!
polysyllabic profundities 
Happy Birthday!! Have a fun day and Fabulous year!!
Thanks Sheila! 😊
Hey, Happy Birthday! I have been meaning to sent you an email earlier to say I have been thinking of your Mom and Dad this month. Loved the photo that you posted a few weeks ago.
Thank you so much! I’ve been meaning to email you and seem to get so busy and put it off. I will send one soon to catch you up on everything. Hope you and the kids are doing well. xx
I so love your perspective and how important it is for me to read because age is something I just can’t keep from struggling with. Turns out my 20 year high school reunion is this year and it’s been set for…wouldn’t you know it? My birthday, Aug. 3. At first I was excited and then horribly depressed lol. What a way to double check how “old” I’ve become than to attend a reunion and have it be my birthday. But you’re right. Age doesn’t have to define anyone and while I understand that logically, I can’t quite convince my heart…it may have a lot to do with being single and childless and there’s a part of me that would really like to at least once have the “love of my life” type deal. Children…well I think I’m coming more to terms with that part and knowing that maybe it just wasn’t meant to be, such as life. Anyway…another fabulous read and I’m sorry I’m behind the times but…Happy belated birthday! 🙂
Thank you so much! I entered 50 single and childless, but healthy and happy. I embrace each day with a positive attitude because so many people I know aren’t on this earth anymore to do that. One day at a time. 🙂