Sunset on my Fifties ….

There is so much that can be said about the sunset over a decade. Turning 60 carries lots of jokes lots of playfully jocular references.   I may even go so far as to get a sheet cake for my release/celebration party that says “60 is the new 40” just for the fun of it and to add an air of birthday lightness.  Because that is ultimately what I would like to bring to this decade – the lightness of realizing that I’m not only old enough to get a senior discount at Stop and Shop, but to embrace the mantra that was brought out beautifully in the Sunday NY Times Style section piece offered by Dominique Browning, “I’m too old for this”.  So much is written and laughed about getting older, and I love the idea of using it as the ultimate reason not to get dragged into the negativity of the people places and things that don’t serve us, and in fact framing it as a source of empowerment.  It reminds me to say yes more to the things that excite and inspire, and no to the things that waste precious time.  It’s the decade where I’m healthy enough to be active, mindful enough to respect my limitations, and wise enough to not overly bemoan the obstacles and realize that living on my own terms can create opportunities I couldn’t have imagined before.  Saying what I mean and meaning what I say can be its own reward and spreading the light and love as a reflection of every possible moment can be a glorious task.   Without a doubt, unequivocably the best and most powerful comment I have ever encountered about the positive aspect of aging was discovered amongst the multitude of Eckhart Tolle gems … ‘as the body begins to fade, there’s more room for the light of consciousness to shine through’…. that has stayed with me since I read it , way back in my fifties,  and I never want to lose sight of the ball in this game of life that is all about doing whatever it takes to bring us closer to consciousness.     Goodbye fifties, you brought me pain and suffering, the experience of the resilience it takes to lose and almost lose loved ones, taught me new and better steps for the mother-daughter dance, and has given me the gift of expressing through my voice and my words all that I hold dear and I believe to be valuable offerings …. I started my birthday with a yoga class at 6:30 AM and I drank in the intention to be grateful for this vessel that has carried me through 5 decades so far, and found a new mantra, “I love”, inhaling the I, exhaling the love….  I intend to slow down when I say ‘I love you’ and bring the full breath of life to it. What a gift to those I love, and I offer to it those who read this and a delicious way to savor each moment we’re alive …..