Wow, so many birthdays in the month of July! Last week I turned the big SIX-OH!! How did that happen? 
Remember as kids we thought 60 was ancient? Heck, 40 was ancient. Time really does give you a perspective on such things, doesn't it? I remember as a child thinking that at 60 I would be a white haired old lady in a rocking chair. Haha. Now I think there's nothing wrong with white hair, I actually love it. I also love the sense of freedom that we get as we age. By that I mean freedom to make decisions that we once would not have made. Decisions to put ourselves first and do what makes us happy in the present. It sounds trite, but truly.... carpe diem, everyone! If you've had health problems as I have, if you have lain in ICU hooked to machines or watched loved ones go through debilitating illness or worse, it suddenly becomes crystal clear that we should take what time we're given and make the best of it. Take the trip, buy the car, write the book, whatever it is that maybe we feel like we should wait till "one day" to do. That day is now.
Also aging makes us shed inhibitions, like that built in switch that tells us to keep our mouth shut. 
I guess as we age we don't feel the need to tiptoe around others' feelings. Of course we should continue to be kind as much as possible but the passage of time really does cause us to stop sugar coating our words and get straight to the point with day to day things. I find myself doing this with kids and grandkids. Just keeping it real as the kids say!
Lastly I want to say growing old is a privilege denied to so many and so I intend to make the most of it. God Bless us all in our golden years!
Tags: Birthdays Getting Older Life Experience
