It’s my birthday!

Flickr photo, Shireen Jeejeebhoy

It might otherwise be traumatic, except I think how all my childhood friends are also 55, or in that territory, and I don’t feel so bad. Hehe.

I also see that I now qualify for the “senior” meals at a restaurant I might be visiting next week near Spring Lake, NJ.

Ah, so much good stuff!

Actually, the toughest birthdays were not the big ones. You know, 40, 50. Those were novelties. Celebrations. Woohoo! 50 years old! A half-century!

The most challenging ones were/are the birthdays where I felt I turned a corner. 45. Now 55.

You can’t help but be contemplative. (Although I also plan to have a WONDERFUL time today.)

I tend to “take stock” on my birthdays.

(Which I also do around New Year’s. It works out well that the dates are roughly a half year apart.)

I’m in great health, my doctor tells me. He had blood tests taken a month ago or so. My HDL is 87. My fasting blood sugar is 77. My insulin level is 2! No signs of diabetes, heart disease or cancer, he says.

The benefits of eating well and exercising!

OK, I’m bragging. The birthday girl gets to do that.

(I can also chest press 50 lb dumbbells! Yes, with a spot, but still…!)

What my good health means to me is good times for the future.

I’ve said this here before…I plan to be around another 40 years.

How about you?

The upside of having been laid off more than a year ago is that I’ve been able to (forced to) reexamine my life and goals.

And when you absolutely need to keep functioning, you darn well better be in sharp physical and mental health.

An aside…

I’m signing up for 2 seminars next month. One is entitled “Functional Fitness After 40.” The other is ”Injury Prevention for Female Athletes.”

I wasn’t sure about attending the latter one, but one of the organizers assured me that the issues young women deal with (hip weakness, foot pronation, estrogen levels, quad dominance, etc.) also apply to women over 50. SOLD! 

I love learning about the issues that concern women my age.

I am all for helping my ever-expanding circle of friends live healthier lives.

But I couldn’t easily do it if I were in poor health.

So far…so good! 

What are YOUR plans and goals for the next 40 years?

Have you thought about it? (You don’t HAVE to wait for a birthday.)

If you want to travel and enjoy some relaxing years, are you in good health to do so?

If you plan to work–either for a company or for yourself–do you have the mental and physical stamina to do so?

MOST of us, at this age, have some challenges. Health challenges. Financial challenges. Family challenges.

We can only rise to those challenges.

No matter what you’re facing today, fighting for your health makes sense. You need it to carry on.

Post a comment, please, and let me know what your goals for the next 40 are. Then, let’s stay in touch and work together to make them happen! 

Flickr photo, Points North