Embracing Birthdays
So how do you feel about birthdays? I have some friends who dread them, some who ignore them, and some, like my friend Marci Waldman, who celebrate for an entire week!
In fact, with my birthday coming up tomorrow, I'm taking some girlfriends to my hometown of Houston to party this weekend. We're staying with my mom, who loves to have a good time ... even though Mom and I have always thought differently about this whole age/birthday thing. She has made me swear, even in her obituary, never to give out her age. I always thought that was funny and understandable, given that she has always looked much younger than her years.
I, on the other hand, have always proudly proclaimed my age. For some reason it has seemed pretty much irrelevant. Maybe that comes from graduating high school at 16 and college at 20. I wasn't always with my peers age-wise, so I just sort of dismissed the whole age thing and moved on. In fact, there were times, especially in my 20s or 30s when people would ask my age and I really had to take a moment and think about it before answering.
But now that I am halfway through my 40s — I'm hitting the big 45 — it's a whole new ball game! The thought has crossed my mind several times over the past few weeks that yes, I am finally hurtling towards 50. And you can say all you want about 50 being the new 40, but I just don't buy it.
Fifty is 50 — and there's nothing you can do about it, except celebrate big-time that you have lived another year. Go down swinging …with a margarita in one hand and chocolate cake in the other! Marci's got the right idea ... and Mom, so do you!