Superstitious people believe that we should toast ourselves on our birthdays, otherwise the year ahead will be worse than the previous one. What have we to lose whether we believe it or not, right?
So in anticipation to my birthday this month:
Here's to a happy birthday to me, cheers!"
But come on, why do they come so frequently? Is there a way to hold back the clock?
Time really flies so fast that oftentimes I can't believe that I'm living my 8th decade. I understand why Rebecca Bissetonce, editor-in-chief of Expat Living Magazine, Singapore edition said:
"You know you're getting on in life when the really old man in the movie used to be the 'hot dude' you had a crush on".
Ahh! Being old is that time in life when women like me get passed the anxiety over wrinkles and bulges; a time when we no longer get noticed, sometimes we even seem invisible to others. Well, it's about time to accept all those and make peace with our situation, especially with our faces and bodies and with society in general.
On the other hand, men get a better deal; even with their expanded beer belly along with their gray hairs, (others may not even have hair anymore) yet they are still dubbed as being accomplished and more distinguished.
If we obsess too much on our looks, we stress ourselves and just gain more wrinkles and white hairs. I believe that what's important is how we feel, what we do and with whom. Besides, there are far greater things to focus on other than looks.
I fathomed that it is not too late to become someone we've always dreamed of if we only try; or do something we've always wanted now that we have the time; something that really matters, like pursuing a pre-occupation, a hobby or even another career; whatever we want to do to make us feel challenged, fulfilled and invigorated.
Moreover, I learned that the happiest people are those who do NOT have problems but those who learn to live with things that are less than perfect.
It is not easy to accept everything that come into our lives as part of this complex journey, especially things we can't control, like fading looks, body aches and pains or illness, even though we follow a healthy regimen of diet and exercise. We get frustrated if our bodies do not always cooperate in spite our best intentions and best efforts.
At my age, we also become forgetful that it takes time to remember facts and issues, but I do not fret. I read that it is not a memory problem, there's nothing wrong with our brains if we can't recall things straight away. Experts say that our minds are full because we know a lot of things and therefore taking more time to recall information; pretty much like accessing files from our computer. So if we can't remember something immediately, we are told to say that "my disk is full".
As I celebrate my birthday this month, I try to focus only on what's good in my life. I've gathered great inspiration from my prayerful friend Nina who says:
"My life is a long journey as I move from one point to the other, growing in faith all the time. Instead of focusing on the ups and downs of my life, l'll be looking ahead to the longest finish line because I want to reach it well and perfectly ready".
Today I'll set my sight to that unseen finish line as well, thanking The Lord for the love and the blessings in my life no matter how simple and humble it maybe. Even though I can't have caviar for breakfast, escargot for lunch, foie gras and truffles for dinner; I am happy with an occasional filet mignon for dinner (which is more often than what is good for my heart); I believe that it is still a life that some can only dream of.
I'm referring to my happy and relaxing home life; focusing on my hobbies: managing the store, gardening, reading, cooking and blogging. Oh, my husband will be thrilled to read this, for as they say: "happy wife, happy life".
And why wouldn't I be happy with a gentle and caring husband with the greenest thumb, (a big bonus really, that we can eat the freshest organic veggies from our garden); responsible, loving and thoughtful children and (that includes their spouses) and our two beautiful grandchildren.
I've got a loving and thoughtful sister who lives across the oceans but easily accessible via messenger. There's my big brother who will readily come visit along with his children and grandchildren if I promise to cook his favorite dish. We bond occasionally during family milestones and when my sister is in town. We are always happy when we get together, we laugh a lot and I feel the love go around.
On this birthday and forward, I hope to continue being happy and healthy. I know that I am still the driving force to complete my life story; as I grow older, wiser and learning more about life, I believe that there are areas I can still improve on. That aside, I love my life as is. It may not be much of a life to others, but it is my life and I wouldn't change it even if I could.
