Fifty!!!

"If you think hitting forty is liberating, wait till you hit fifty!" - Michelle Pfeiffer, actor

Now, this is something I can relate to! I turned fifty last year and I must admit it brought up a ton of mixed emotions for me. I'm healthy and happy with life but the thought of turning fifty was not uplifting for me. I struggled with the idea of entering a new decade.

As the day approached however, I began to realize just how blessed I've been over the past 50 years. After some quiet reflection over a short period of time, I recognized that fifty is just a number. I live my life a day at a time, focusing on the task at hand for that day. I put my attention towards doing the "next right thing", whatever that might be, and I thank my Higher Power throughout the day and especially at night for helping me to face everything with some grace and dignity. I do feel liberated at the age of fifty (almost fifty-one now) and I'm grateful for this attitude of gratitude.

For those of you who may be struggling with getting older no matter what the number is, let me share the other insight I came up with right before I turned fifty last year. A friend of mine had told me once that forty was the new thirty. So, I took that statement and adjusted it accordingly. If forty is the new thirty then fifty must be the new forty! I was perfectly content with turning forty last year! And, taking this a step further, I was absolutely positive that by the time I'm about to turn sixty, I'll be perfectly content to turn fifty! When I'm not in a positive frame of mind, I always have this little trick to fall back on!

Blessings to you all, whatever age you may be.