Birthdays

Hello WW Readers,

I just realized that it’s been almost one year since I wrote my first post.

And this week I turned 47 years old. Some people freak out about closing in on 50. So far, I’m unaffected by it. In fact, I think I’m excited to be getting closer to 50.

In my mind, there is some kind of liberation that occurs at 50, like you’re somehow released from the expectations of constant striving and get to settle into the “whatever” stage of life.

That sounds exciting to me, to look back on 50 years and think, “ Yeah, I did that. Now I’m going to lighten up a bit.”

And it might not be like that, turning 50, but it still doesn’t feel scary. It feels exciting to think of mellowing, graduating, and getting better discounts. There are NO discounts for average, 47-year-old women. Look out, AARP; I’m heading your way.

This year, I spent time with friends having a few different birthday celebrations. I tried having big parties a few times in the past, and it never lived up to the hype in my head. Instead, I like to pepper little celebrations throughout the month, with a wild variety of people that I love.

I have such lovely friends who always show up for my birthday shenanigans. Lunch and dinner, travel, music, coffee shops, earrings, books, trips to the museum or the theater… we can always find something special, a marker for this moment in time.

That’s how I feel about birthdays: they are little anchors of memory, indulgence, whimsy, and timeliness. They are an opportunity to stand close to the people I love and say, “We are here right now. In this moment. Let’s make a memory of it. Let’s celebrate all we have.”

This birthday milestone perspective keeps me excited about life, and keeps me from worm-holing about:

-my age

-how much time has passed

-how old my parents and children are

-how I’ll look in 10 more years

-the state of my knees

-the state of the union…

NOPE!

A birthday is a golden opportunity to hunker down in the present moment and give thanks. To look forward and backward for a few minutes, knowing it’s all so fleeting-

knowing I have many more years of wonder, joy, sadness, loss, gains, growth, and trepidation still ahead of me.

Until I don’t.

But that’s not for me to know. That’s none of my business.

My business is to settle down, reach out to my people, gather them up in my arms and say thank you for the good times. And the hard ones. And the opportunity to witness your highs and lows. To watch life unfold around me and suck the marrow from it, squeezing out every last golden drop.

Because life is nothing to hide from, or resist, or escape.

LIFE is all the good and all the dark and all the light. All the fun, all the pain, and all the guts it takes to sit there and stay in it. Life is learning how to experience great extremes at the same time, or years of absolute nothingness.

Some days are Rocky Mountain spring blooms, and some are the Deserts of the Badlands. Both are beautiful and valuable, even though you might like one more than the other.

But birthdays aren’t about gifts, or decorations, or the perfect cake for Instagram. They are mile markers that show you how far you’ve come and the steps you’ve traveled to get here. And HERE is so good.

If your HERE is not great, then use your milestones to set your sights on a new destination. Where do you want to be on your next birthday?

If I’m in the same place with the same people, that will serve me just fine. It is good here. All that’s in front of me is unknown, and I’m reserving cautious optimism about it. But looking at 50, I’m hoping for reckless jubilation!

I’ve set my intention for an excellent year 47. I hope you come along for the ride.

With love,

Dr. Erin

Cheers! to another birthday together. Love you, my friend.