Road to 50 Starts Now - Happy Birthday to Me!

1969 Tee | Black Jeans | Vest (on sale!)

Today I officially begin the road to the big 5-0! That’s right, today is my birthday and I’m turning 49. I’ve never been one to get too caught up with the number. I mean we are only as old as we feel right? I think that may be the difference these days as the first time in my life I’m actually starting to really feel the effects of growing up. There are just some pieces of aging you can slow down but not stop completely and I keep asking my mom dumb questions like “how did you accept seeing yourself get older?”. As always, she looks back at me and laughs and reminds me there is not a thing I can do about it!

In all seriousness, there are lots of physical changes happening in this midlife body which are all just part of growing older. My capacity to to stay up late has diminished and my internal clock will still wake up no later than 6am even when I try to sleep until 10. My hormones are crazy as hell right now and some days it takes every ounce of mental capacity I have to focus on just one thing. We don’t even need to talk about the battle to remain healthy! No longer am I on a quest to get back to my “ideal” body weight but instead I fight almost every day just to stay the same weight.

But growing older also means those around me are growing older too. I don’t want to miss out on creating as much quality time with those I love every chance I get just because I’m in a funk about my own age! Slowing down enough to make time for relationships has definitely become a bigger deal to me on this road to 50.

I’m sharing five ways I hope to embrace the road to 50 this year in an effort to remind myself how grateful I should be to have even one more day.

One | Take time to enjoy the small moments. Whether it is putting everything aside and curling up on the couch to watch TV with Keith or taking a drive to my hometown to sit with my Mamaw while she plays BINGO, I need to make more time for the small moments. We always think we will have more time and the little moments are shoved aside but all you have to do is look around and every day you will see an obituary of someone who thought they had more time. I really want to take time for the people and experiences that are most important!

Two | Continue to take care of my body. I am thankful I love the way exercise makes me feel and I want to continue to push myself but also recognize when my body needs rest. For several years I’ve battled with some chronic hip pain which led me to see a chiropractor and it has been such a game changer for me. I’ve learned so much about anatomy and things I need to do (like more stretching) to continue to be as mobile as possible. It has also taught me a lot about posture.

Three | Build up others. This year I would really, really like to host a book club or a bible study for women. I keep thinking I want to do this in my work environment. Sometimes it only takes one person sharing from the heart to give another the push they need to make it through. I’ve been a “working” mom for 28 years and would love to support those women who are battling mom guilt, the struggle to perform well at work and at home and just the overall sense of loss of self. I’ve had so many trying experiences in my life and continue to feel the pull to share my story in an effort to help someone else survive and succeed.

Four | Wash my face. Like not in the Girl Wash Your Face kind of way but literally washing my face! I seriously still struggle with making myself take off makeup every night and I see such a huge difference when I just do it. Drinking water is a huge part of taking care of my skin and I’ve got to get better….so much better.

Five | Be well! I want to be well, mentally, physically and spiritually and stop making excuses why I can’t. If I need help with my mental wellness I want to advocate for myself to ask for it. If I want to continue to feel strong I want to consistently go to the gym and stop making excuses why I’m too busy. And God, I really need to put Him in a bigger light and stop putting other things first. More than ever I feel the need to have Him as my resource to draw from when handling daily encounters and if I don’t spend time alone with Him I’m totally never going to be prepared!

For me, I still feel like there is so much in life I want to accomplish and the clock is ticking faster and faster. Hoping by writing these five things down I will have more accountability and a way to refocus when I get off track! The road to 50 starts now! Being a better person all the way around is where I hope to find myself next year.