I’m getting close now!
I say this tongue in cheek because I know these 47 days will disappear as quickly as the previous ones. I don’t know why time moves so swiftly as we age. When I was young, I wanted life to speed up because it felt so slow. Now I wish for time to slow down because it’s moving so fast.
(Perhaps this is something I will ponder in my 50 days after turning 50 as I am sure I will be graced with great wisdom when I arrive at the half century mark).
I experienced two themes this week; time moving quickly and revisiting the past. I had lunch with two friends from elementary school, a phone conversation with the first friend I made in Grade 1, my nephew turned 21, and I went to a Celebration of Life for a dear friend.
All week I found myself wondering, where have the years gone?
The answer, of course, is in my memories. Experiencing millions of moments, (26,230,676 to be exact) Moments of joy, pain, challenge, stillness, love, fear, exhilaration, passion, and so many others.
But the most meaningful are the moments I have shared with others. They have made my life feel full and rich. Each memory I hold in my heart reminds me how blessed I am for the experiences and people in my life these past (almost) five decades.
This is my gift – the passage of time.
laura-jeanne.com 
Hi Laura-Jeanne:
I concur that time seems to pass by more quickly the older you get.
When I was turning 50, it was a tumultuous year – we lost my mother-in-law to lung cancer and then almost right after I was diagnosed with bladder cancer and had surgery, drug treatments etc. Not exactly the best way to remember the start of a new decade of your life.
However the highlight of that year was prior to my mother-in-law passing and my diagnosis. At the beginning of the year we went on a family trip to Hawaii. It was the first really big family trip that we had ever taken. The kids were now teens and young adults so it was so much easier than when they were little and we had to haul half the house with us. We had a real blast. Our kids still talk about this trip today. The reason for the trip was to celebrate both my hubby and I turning 50. Hubby had already turned 50 and I was a couple months shy of that milestone birthday. Given what the rest of that year brought me I’m so glad that I had that trip to think about and remember. It has buoyed my spirits over the years. I do wish that that milestone year had been a little kinder and I could have done something more with regards to making more memories. Instead it is a year I want to forget other than the fantastic Hawaii trip.
My 50’s seemed to go by in a blink of an eye and now I’m approaching my mid 60’s. Within 18 months I will be applying for OAS and CPP. In the eyes of the government and most of the world I will be regarded as a senior citizen. It was a milestone that seemed so long ago for so long and now it is fast approaching. This realization has given me reason to pause and tap my memory bank for all kinds of things. Memories seem to be more and more important now. Maybe the pandemic has something to do with that too, I don’t know.
I’m enjoying your countdown with all the commentary and reflections. I have heard that 60 is the new 50 so I’m assuming that 50 is the new 40. Keep these commentaries coming.
Thanks for being authentic and sharing, Susan. Some years seem to throw us curve balls. I am so glad you were able to hang on to such a fun memory in the midst of struggle. I am glad you’re reading along and enjoying my musings. Thanks for being here.
Oops, “well”, not we’ll although we’ll be interested in your thoughts on the ever increasing speed of time.