A Woman Looks at Forty-eight

Today is the 48th anniversary of my entrance in to this life on this planet. A number like that tends to freak some people out. I rather like it. I would much rather be 48 than 28. 28 was horrible, actually. 48 is serene, contented, peaceful. At 28, I had no idea what was happening to my life. I had no goals, no sense of future happiness - I just existed from day to day. I was not happy. I did not have ideas or things I wanted to try. At 48, my mind is bursting with ideas and projects and lots of "let's see if we can do THIS!"

I'm a mother to a beautiful, smart, and sometimes frustrating pre-pubescent boy, who I love more than anything else in the world. I am married to a sweet, artistic, athletic man who loves me as much as I love him. I am employed by a place that makes me feel like I'm doing something good for the rest of the world (though they'll never know that I'm part of the reason). The pay's not great, but at the moment it's enough and I hope that I will be able to continue doing my job for some time into the future without budget cut or benefit cut threats making me wonder if I should look for something else. It's publicly funded, so who knows? I choose not to stress over it, but to cross bridges when I come to them.

I found my horoscope today rather encouraging and I feel somehow accurate:

Today's Birthday (March 25):
This is one of your best years to date because your goals are reasonable, meaningful, and aligned with the higher good for all involved. You will go far on your strength of purpose. In April, you'll be drawn to activities that teach you who you are. You'll make an important sale in June. Your love life perks up in July.

My husband wants to know what's going to happen in July...

I've made a lot of changes in the last few years. I quit smoking. I've started an exercise program with a GOAL (Vermont City Marathon in May 2011). My diet is in constant overhaul in an effort to eat healthier, more life-sustaining food, with just a little fun stuff thrown in on occasion. The results are interesting.

Several years ago, I took the Real Age test. I was in my early 40s at the time and the test said I was 57! So I got to work with my doctor and began making me younger. I took the test again today and I am actually younger than I am now. 48 is the new 46! And even better - there are things I can do to get younger still! I could stop talking on my phone while driving. I don't actually do it much, but I do call my mom almost every day on my way to work to chat and check in with her. I am also very aware when I do this and if things are looking busy, I'll tell her that I need to hang up. I need to raise my HDL cholesterol. I actually already knew this and have a dietary plan in place to start after the birthday hurrahs to address this. I need more strength training for my bones. I need to floss everyday rather than just when I remember to do it. And I have some weight to lose.

Getting younger is NOT about appearances. It's about how your body and mind function together to get the most out of your time on earth. There's nothing more aging than eating junk and sitting around doing nothing and thinking nothing. And it's boring! Sure, it takes effort to get up and do what needs to be done - but the rewards are so much better.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some sanding and painting to do...