Fifty & Celebrating

I am fifty – FIFTY!  I feel like I’m confessing to being an addict.  I’ve been dreading this moment and on the eve of the big day, feel like bursting into tears.  I can’t believe that I have reached this milestone age – my life has flashed by and I’m on the downward slope – blink and you’ll miss it.

Fifty seemed such an age but now that I’m here, it’s nothing at all and I apologise to all citizens, fifty and beyond who I classed as old – what was I thinking?

This has been my mind set since watching the smoke drift away from my birthday cake candles last year.  But then a few months ago someone I’d known all my life and who was just a couple of months older than me sadly passed away and I realised that she will never celebrate her fiftieth birthday let alone reach a ripe old age.  This milestone age must be celebrated because there are too many people who don’t make it.  So fifty, I embrace you and all that you throw at me because I know I’m lucky to be knocking at your door.

By way of marking my half-century, I thought it only fitting to write that letter to myself.

Dear Body, I love you.  You have had a wonderful journey so far and still have many years ahead of you.  We endured much bereavement along the way.  You should thank your lucky stars that you’re so fit and healthy.

Back – you’ve been a bit troublesome, especially a couple of years ago but the bulging disc has gone down for now and I know how to look after you.

Hair – How do you do it?  Still so glossy and deep, shiny brown with hardly a grey hair in sight – I LOVE YOU.  I did dye you once but being a straighty-one-eighty it was only a different shade of brown.  Ha! What was I thinking?

Eyebrows – Do you remember how Pam’s dad Bryn used to go all weak at the knees over you?  His children were fair-haired and not a single eyebrow between them so he used go crazy over you!

Feet – you get a bad rap being feet but really you deserve so much more.  I don’t think I ever thanked you for carrying me those twelve kilometres in the City to Bay run way back in 2006 – thankyou.  Do you remember how we struggled when I fractured you falling down the stairs?  I was so disappointed not to have a plaster cast.  Instead you had to endure trainers for six weeks and it just wasn’t glamorous.

Thighs (and hips, you can come in here too) – Really you have both let me down a bit.  You are not in ratio with my waist and bust.  You cause me so much grief when trying on new clothes.  Just today I tried on a beautiful dress but you wouldn’t have a bar of it.  I’ve tried whipping you into shape at the gym and even took on a personal trainer.  She nearly killed us so I’m going to tone you under my own rules (that will wipe the beautiful smile off her pretty young face.)

Body – I am still in awe of you and the way you produced two very fine humans – now that’s clever!  You could have given me more notice when it was time to deliver Eleanor though; 35 minutes was just not long enough but we coped, Grandma and me.

Skin – I try to look after you.  I remember some beauty guru saying that we have to remember that the skin on our faces ends at our nipples.  That’s just daft, but I try to.  Moisturise, moisturise and moisturise.  Thanks for tanning nicely too.

Liver – ‘Here we go again’ I can hear you groan.  I just can’t help myself sometimes (well most of the time actually).  But a new decade and a new leaf turned.  In fact you’ll be pleased to hear that I’ll be taking part in Dry July just to show you that I can.  Watch this space liver.

So body thank you…thank you for all that you’ve done for me and for all that you will continue to do.  We’ve got a long journey ahead of us still and we’re going to have fun.  Here’s to us, happy 50^th birthday, you!