Today marks the end of my blog writing project. This blog post marks my goal of 50 new blog posts by July 27, 2009. Happily, I have been able to write reasonably creative, inspirational and motivational blog posts. Of course, as you all know by now, today is my 50th birthday.
Such a milestone event may be celebrated in many ways. Some will prefer to celebrate by themselves with no one to remind them that they have actually reached this age. Others will yearn for a big party during which they will be able to forget the reason for the party event. Still others among us would prefer a quiet social event with our close family. This could include dinner at home or a fine restaurant, a backyard barbecue, a movie with expensive theater snacks, a camping or fishing trip or a vacation getaway to a tropical location, to name just a few of the ways to celebrate a 50th birthday.
I find there is always an inner struggle between what is practical, what is desirable and my desire for quiet reflection on the anniversaries of important events such as my birthday. From the days of my youth, I remember being asked on my birthday if "I felt a year older". My answer was always "No, not really!" That would still be my answer today. After all, as we have already discussed in the course of these blog posts, on the anniversary of your birth, you have already the number of years you are celebrating. Therefore, in reality, this is just another day.
Earlier today, I posed the question, "What do I do now?" One friend responded something like this: "Figure out what to do with the second half of your life. Just remember to have some fun." Those words are sound advice for any day we are able to live and breathe becomes the first day of the rest of our lives. Even more so, on a big day like a 50th birthday, when today is definitely the first day of another period in my life (possibly the second half of my life).
Here I am, fifty years old today. Old Testament levitical law required honor be shown to older people. " 'Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.' " [Leviticus 19:32 NIV] It seems as though the verse loses something in the modern translation. In the King James Version, often more poetic in translation, the verse reads as follows: "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary (having gray or white hair) head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD." [Leviticus 19:32 KJV] Again, the Book of Proverbs declares "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life." [Provers 16:31 NIV] I am sure that I have earned every one of the gray hairs which I proudly keep shaved off.
Today is today; tomorrow is another day. Soon today will be but a faded memory. On this day, I know that I made it to 50 and I was able to complete my goal of 50 blogs. Hope to see you soon!
~ DB Turnmire
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