It's Official....

I'm 69 years old today. I feel like it is one of those "milestone" birthdays. I've never been on the usual milestones of birthdays, 40, 50, 60, etc. There have been other birthdays that seemed to be some rite of passage for me.

Thirty-six was one of significance. Suddenly, I saw 40 looming. Children were growing up and I started evaluating what I was going to do with my life. I went back to college to finish my degree while I worked hard on my career path. So by the time I got to 40 I had sorted through some questions and I was okay with where I was.

Then again in my late 40's, some career changes and some health issues in the family caused another re-assessment of life so the 50th birthday seemed to be just a time for a fun party. No surprise, no milestone.

I had lost my baby sister to breast cancer before my 60th birthday. That was the time for thinking about life.

Now, today I'm 69 and in my personal journal today I was trying to find a word that described how I felt about this birthday. Anxious? Fearful? Realistic? Fragile? Vulnerable? Surprised to be 69? All of those apply a bit but the word I decided on was much more positive. Jubilant. I'm jubilant about reaching this milestone and I'm in good health. While we aren't wealthy (by American standards) we have enough income to live well especially here in Mexico. I have my husband of 49 years. We have three wonderful sons and their families. We have dear friends and we continue to make new friends. I have my photography....so much a part of my life and always a challenge. My life is full of so many good things and I have lots of plans for things I want to do before I get "old."

Hey, while I'm a little surprised that this birthday just crept up on me, I'm glad to be 69. It is much better than the alternative.