Saturday Morning Ramble, thoughts on turning 55

Sunshine, warm temperatures, summer heat actually, not a cloud in the sky and a gentle breeze.

Goats calling me to feed them, and chickens clucking. Herb garden vibrant once again with all the new growth from recent rains. Watermelon plants spreading out further and further, melon's ripening on the vine. Roses in bloom once again, with their deep pink flowers showing off to the world just how beautiful they are. My little world is quiet this morning. A few birds singing and the same unfriendly squirrel yelling at me from the ash tree by the water spigot.

Morning chores are my favorite, I am not in such a hurry and the day is new and everything seems fresh and new like the day.

I am a bit excited today, like a child....its my birthday, and I love birthdays. 55 sounds old to me, but I sure don't feel old. How well I remember thinking as a child that anything over 30 was ancient and that at my parents 25th wedding anniversary party, I kept thinking that they didn't have much longer to live now that they were that OLD. They were still in their late 40's at the time. It seems now I consider 99 to be old.

I like where I am in life. I like this age. Still can do all I want to and there is a feeling of freedom that comes sometime after 50 and I like that feeling. Not wild freedom, but freedom that comes from life experience. You have figured out what is important and what isn't. You give up trying to put up with things that make you miserable. I think being a people pleaser sort of looses power over you and that for me is a good thing. I am finally me, authentic and not afraid to be less than perfect, not afraid to be wrong or not able to do it all. I love being a Grandmother, had no idea that it was going to be this much fun. I knew it would be wonderful, but not this wonderful. And my children only grow more dear and we seem to grow closer and closer all the time.
I thought a lot about love while I was doing chores this morning, since Emery dashed out of the house first thing this morning to get me one more birthday surprise. I was thinking that love is better than ever at this age. We are so secure with one another, we can read each others minds it seems and there is time to date again. Sit across the table and look at each other, star struck like teenagers, butterflies in our stomachs at the sight of one another across a crowded room.

Our simple life that seems to be as close to perfect as I ever imagined. And somehow we have managed to feel like we have it all. Simplicity.... and still that profound excitement that comes from really living life and we know its a real blessing to be so healthy that we are not hindered in any way from doing the things we want to.

Turning 55 is wonderful when your life is filled with so much love and you feel a deep peace that is seated in contentment for what you already have.