My daughter just turned 45, WAIT, WHAT?!? Didn’t I just turn 45?!? Alicia is my first born and blazed into the world 9 weeks early, weighing all of 3 lbs. 2 oz. I believe this is when my resolve about life started. After 3 miscarriages Dr’s said babies were not to be for me because of an abnormality with my body. I kept a journal and marked every day of that pregnancy with a star, another day, another day, and with a lot of bedrest I was determined to keep her safe until she was at a minimum of 32 weeks when I knew she had a fighting chance, when I knew that every day after that was a blessing ……. Fast forward to 2023 and nothing like the cold dose of reality to slap you in the face. She is 45!! Birthdays can remind us that time is moving along and maybe it is time to adjust our sails. Time to look at that bucket list or start a bucket list if you don’t have one. Time to take that risk and do something fun and/or challenging that you have been putting off. It could be time to take a good look at your home and decide if, with a few modifications, you can stay in place as you age or do you need to move? I had to throw that one in there because that is what I do, help my fellow seniors with lifestyle decisions. Life keeps moving along and change is inevitable. It is your attitude that makes all the difference. Pick someone older than you that you admire. My pick was always Betty White. What a lovely, funny, kind woman. I am sure she had days that weren’t so great, but she always kept moving, always seemed to have her mindset on the positive. Did you ever notice how people cringe when they say how old they are? Why? If you are in your 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s OWN it and give thanks to the good Lord above that you are alive, have lived longer than some of your family members, friends, and classmates, and get that head on straight, we Seniors still have a lot to do.
So, what exactly did my daughters birthday make me realize? That I need to act on my impulses when something pops into my mind. It is time to stop saying I will do it later, I will go there next year, I will visit or call my friend tomorrow. The question is not how old you are, it is how old do you appear, how old do you act? At 70, I am still working, I’m President of my 750 homeowners association where I live (quite frankly I never saw that one coming), I help with my great granddaughter 2 days a week, I meet friends for lunch, do my own yardwork, keep my house up to date, spend time at what I call my North Office near Mackinac Island, and yes, I do sell homes there too. I love to go to the Caribbean in the Winter, and I’m in 2 book clubs. This is me, but probably isn’t you. Some of you may do more than me, some less. You have your own set of things that make you, you. Do them! I know there will probably come a time when my sails will need to be adjusted, and when that happens, I intend to do it gratefully and gracefully. Happy Birthday Alicia, and thanks for the attitude adjustment!
