Steve's Graduation from the Fire Academy - 1980

Today is the last day I can say I’m in my 40’s.  Tomorrow I’ll have lived half a century.  I gotta say, getting here has been pretty great.  What I don’t like is looking back.  It makes me sad. So many people and things I’ve had to say good-bye to.  It would be easy to stay stuck in the past and mourn what I’ve lost, but I’m looking firmly at the future and all that it holds.

I don’t have a bucket list or life list. I’ve never seen the need for one.  I’m happy just living a simple life.  Just being.  But I guess I have a life accomplishment list.  Here’s mine.

What I’ve Accomplished in My Life – aka 15 reasons why turning 50 doesn’t suck.

  1. I married a man I’ve lived with for almost 30 years, happily.
  2. I carried and delivered two adorable baby boys.
  3. I’ve weathered marital storms and we’ve grown stronger in our love because of them.
  4. I’ve raised happy and healthy toddlers and made it through the terrible twos, threes, and beyond.
  5. I’ve had several great careers and served the public through each.
  6. I had the pleasure of attending nearly every school, scout, and sporting event my children participated in.
  7. We’ve traveled to places we loved….camping, fishing, boating, and more.
  8. I survived my boys and their new drivers licenses, broken hearts, and shenanigans.
  9. I’ve managed a chronic disease and the depressing weight gain that came with it through the love and support of my family.
  10. I’ve watched my boys graduate from kindergarten, 6th grade, 9th grade, high school, and one from college.
  11. I stopped working because of my MS and I’ve been lovingly supported by my husband to peruse a career I’m able to do.
  12. I survived my boys moving out and moving on.  Perhaps the hardest part of growing old.
  13. I’m more in love with my husband now than I’ve ever been in the past.  We make a fabulous team.
  14. I’ve been to Disneyland and Disney World more times than I can count and that makes me smile.
  15. I look forward to grand kids and more time just living simply with the husband.

Steve and the boys - 1988

Our family - 1992 or 1992

My husband and I in Vegas for our 20th Anniversary - 2003

What will you look back on on your 50th birthday and say you’ve accomplished?

:me:

  • The Painful Part of Turning 50 Solved by Walgreens (miscfinds4u.com)
  • Graduation From PreSchool to College It’s Something to Celebrate! (miscfinds4u.com)
  • Parenting is Easy – Here’s the Secret (miscfinds4u.com)