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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

On Aging

I am a longtime subscriber of O Magazine, and I love reading the contributors' questionnaire at the beginning of every issue, which relates to the monthly theme. 

The theme for the month of June, which, coincidentally, is my own birthday month, is on aging, so I felt particularly compelled to answer these for myself. 

I wish I could tell my younger self...
It seems cliched these days, but I would tell my younger self that it gets better. Often, I became overwhelmed by the circumstances of life being what it was. As I got older, I started to disconnect from the drama and realize that I had choices. 



I began to see life as it could be, and I began to make the life I wanted a goal I could achieve.





The best part about being x is ...
The best part of being 42 turning 43 is the comfort with myself as a human being, and the perspective of seeing my flaws as opportunities for growth and change. 





My favorite way to celebrate my birthday is...
My favorite way to celebrate my birthday is going on a trip and exploring someplace new, or revisiting someplace familiar and loved. And of course, a special night out with those you love isn't bad either. 




I like to indulge my inner kid by...
I like to indulge my inner kid on my birthday by eating my mom's homemade dinner topped off with strawberry cake with vanilla frosting. 



Ten years from now, I'd love to ...
Ten years from now, I would love to be traveling the world with my husband and living a healthy life...body, mind, and soul with integrity and passion. I would love to have honed my craft to the point where I can make a living with my writing. 



How would you answer these same questions? Please share and inspire me. 

38 comments:

  1. Being comfortable in your own skin is the best part about getting older. I love that quote. I love celebrating my birthday surrounded by family. Hopefully in 10 years I will travel more.

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    1. So much to look forward to as we age with grace. It's a great plan, Kerry. :-) Have a great weekend!

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  2. Love this...I too would tell my younger self that you will have many experiences both good and bad but it does and will get better in time. My 20's and 30's were spent mostly working hard in my career to advance myself and trying to find the love of my life to marry.

    The best part of being in my late 40's, is I am finding more and more comfort in being who I am and liking myself. This last year and 1/2 have been a healthier lifestyle change for me including the most weight I have ever lost in my life.

    My favorite way to celebrate my birthday is to go out with hubs to a nice restaurant, one that I have never been to but wanted to try out and indulge in a pricey meal.

    I like to indulge my inner kid by reminiscing thru old photobooks when I was a child and watching old tv programs I watched as a kid (good old TVland, gotta love!)

    Ten years from now I would like to either have a vacation home or an RV that hubs and I can travel to relax and get away from it all.


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    1. This is fabulous, Jen. I love where I am right now, and I haven't always been able to say that. I love your answers Best of luck on your ten year plan. :-)

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  3. I really like the person I am now. So grateful for the ways I've changed. Sounds like you're pretty awesome. Happy birthday!

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    1. Thank you, Annette. It's a good feeling when you're finally comfortable with who you are. I'm so happy that you are too. Cheers!

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  4. Dropping in from Bloggers facebook group. Enjoyed reading this as June is also my birthday month but add on 10 + years for me. I agree with you it gets better.

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    1. Welcome, Sandra. Happy Birthday to you! And thank you for stopping by. :-)

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  5. Dropping in from the blogger group on facebook. Enjoyed your post probably more so because June is also my birthday month but add on 10 years. also agree it gets better.

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    1. Welcome, Sandra. Happy Birthday to you! And thank you for stopping by. :-)

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  6. I remember my father saying that when he retired he would like a rent an RV so he and my mother could drive across the country and stop whenever they pleased. The RV didn't happen although he and Mom did travel extensively, so Dad was happy with that.
    My dream is to have a country home where hubby and I can bird-watch and garden, and just spend time together.

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    1. Your dream of a country home sounds lovely. I hope it happens for you. Thank you so much for stopping by. :-)

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  7. Really now.... 'I want to celebrate my birthday by travelling' is the least shocking thing ever! Of course you would, have you read your blog? ;-) Good post! I love reading responses to these types of questions!

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    1. I know, Farin...shocker that I want to travel. ;-) How would you answer the same questions?

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  8. In my fall/winter years I have concluded that all the things I thought were so important could be purged down to a handful. Being honest, faithful, content and full of love.

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    1. Jeannie, you are so right. It's all about collecting memories, not things. Thank you so much for your visit and for your feedback. :-) Enjoy this weekend.

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  9. This is great post... as June is my birthday month too... I may just "steal" this idea for my post if you don't mind (with acknowledgement to you).... I love it and as I will be turning a new decade this would be perfect. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thank you, Marlys! Happy Birthday to you. Please do use it. I would love to read your answers. :-)

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  10. I was thinking as I was driving to the train station this morning that you could not pay me to go back to my 20s. I battled internally and externally against so many things that are either unchangeable or that don't matter. I know that I will continue to experience even more serenity by not giving a crap about those things as I finish out my 30s and enter my 40s.

    I'd like to write more too and have some more freedom of movement in 10 years...or a vacation home at the shore.

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    1. I think that if I were me then, I would go back, but other than that...no thanks. Your ten year plan sounds fabulous to me, Steph. Best of luck making it happen. :-) Enjoy the weekend.

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  11. I love that quote about being nice to yourself. I have a really hard time with that and it's true...it's hard to be happy when someone is beating you up all the time!

    And...yay Danny Kaye! Love that guy!

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    1. Hi Jillian,
      What strikes me about that quote is the reality that if you can't be nice to yourself, how can you expect others to be, or for you to be nice to others? I think we have to start with ourselves. And you're right...who does't like Danny Kaye. :-) Thank you so much for stopping by. :-)

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  12. I love this! Especially the kid picture! Makes me consider doing a post like this on my blog. For me one of the things that has changed most with age (I'm 25) is body image.

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    1. Thank you, Lisa. I would love to read your post. Please send me a link. :-) Enjoy the weekend.

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  13. So much truth! It really is awesome to be at a point in your life where you are comfortable with who you are. I so wish I could have had this sense of myself in my youth!

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    1. Thank you, Diann. I think that if I were me then, I would go back, but other than that...no thanks. I love who and where I am at this point in my life. :-) It's a great place to be.

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  14. Happy Birthday dear. Just the other day I was complaining I'm going to be 30 soon. I read this post and I'm so inspired. Thank you for sharing :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Zakkiya. I hope you are loving your twenties...it keeps getting better. Thank you, again. :-)

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  15. I am turning 43 next month and I wish I had written your final answer. I also especially loved the quote about being nice to yourself. I feel like that's the one thing that's getting better with age. :)

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    1. Good luck with your plan, Jennifer. :-) What strikes me about that nice quote is the reality that if you can't be nice to yourself, how can you expect others to be, or for you to be nice to others? I think we have to start with ourselves. And you're right...it does keep getting better. :-) Thanks again, and Happy Birthday to You!!

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  16. Happy Birthday!!! This is such a great post. I think it honestly takes a lot to be comfortable with who you are and I am still learning how to do that. I loved all the quotes said and it's very inspiring.

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    1. Thank you, Jazmine. You will get there...one day at a time. Thank you so much for visiting. :-)

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  17. Thanks for such a great post, as well as for stopping by my blog!
    I'll be answering these questions on my own soon- your responses were inspirational :)

    www.mydomesticdish.com

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    1. Thank you so much! I look forward to reading your responses. :-)

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  18. Great post. I wish I could tell my younger self that what you think is important at a younger age isn't necessarily the case!

    I have spent the last 12 years trying to climb up the corporate ladder to realise that the career success I have been chasing for so long has never really been my passion and that the underlying nagging feeling that something was wrong has suddenly come to a head.

    At 33 I still have plenty of time to change my plans and that is exactly what I intend to do, with my loving support husband by my side. Our passion for travel incorporating my writing and his photography has finally exploded and we are looking to change our currently lives, move abroad, rent out our house and do what we feel we should actually be doing rather than keep saying that "one day we will do that!"

    We just need to plan and arrange it all now - I suppose the first step is saying it out loud to others though! :)

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    1. Great responses, Tam. It sounds like we're in similar spaces. We are working to do that as well. He's not a photographer though. ;-) I feel like my life is catching fire and the best is yet to come....for all of us. :-) Thank you for visiting and for sharing your story.

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  19. Great post. I appreciate your honesty. My 20s was a decade that I never want to relive. Whenever I start to regret it, which happens often, I remind myself that the person I am now, with all the qualities and virtues I'm finally proud of, is a result of those years I hate to remember. I would tell my younger self not to be so hard on myself, that it's okay to be happy, that things definitely get better.

    I looked forward to my 30s, and I'm never ashamed to tell people my age. I'm 32, and the most confident and content that I've ever been. To me that's the best part of being in my 30s, and it's so precious to me.

    Have a happy birthday month!

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    1. Thank you, Suheiry. I would only go back if I were the me I am now, then. I love where I am now and it keeps getting better. And I love that I can say that. I wish the same for us all. :-) Thank you so much for stopping by.

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