The BIG Birthday!
Hello,
How are you?
Well, it’s finally arrived! I honestly didn’t flinch over my 40th birthday, nor my 50th – but 60? Ouch! You can call 60 the new 50, but sorry it’s 60 and that’s the end of it! So how do we burst through, taking it in our stride?
The Japanese call it your “Second Spring” and ever since hearing that phrase I’ve adopted it, taken it to heart and practically owned it – and now it’s yours. The key, I feel, is never to dismiss the child inside – she’s still there, waiting and wanting to explore, share, improve, love and constantly tweak her book of life. A friend of mine, Lizzie Cundy, was 52 this month and as a joke on her Instagram she insisted we were celebrating her 37th birthday. The girls all piled in with comments, mine being, “Ladies, she’s counting the years she has left!” Much hilarity ensued, but in my humour there’s also a truth – if we dare to look! – because in our 50s and 60s we can see and feel and practically touch our mortality. We know there are more years behind us than in front, so we’d better make them count!
However much I’ve tried to suspend myself in aspic, bury my head in the sand thinking, “If I don’t look, it wouldn’t happen,” this week on the 25th of May I am 60. And there it is. While clearing out yet another shelf a few weeks ago (is there no end to it?) I found a Buddhist book of quotes and I think this one is appropriate: Iron shines when used but rusts when not. Those people who work hard and strive never to get rusty – they stay constantly polished and shine. I’m healthy, with the man of my dreams, great family, friends, and a wealth of experience that’s been both good and bad. Enough to teach me something I didn’t do in the past because of misguided fear and guilt – which is, in the words of David Cassidy (while still in The Partridge Family) to Cherish the moment, to relax and say, “Thank you, Universe, I got this.”
My top tip for this week? Go shine! And even if it’s looking dark, you know how to polish it! Stay safe and whatever you are doing, do it in lip gloss.
Love, Anthea X
This article is originally from My Weekly!