Day 337 of 365 - Official Senior Citizen

Happy Birthday to me!  If you are reading this on September 7th, I am 65 years old today and an official senior citizen.  Benefits I can expect from reaching this milestone are being eligible for my Old Age Pension (doesn't that sound decrepit?) and also for any and all senior discounts on offer.  I think I have already been eligible for other senior programs since the age of sixty or even 55, such as those at our local seniors recreational center.

I  celebrated by starting my day attending my NIA dance class, followed by going out for breakfast with my classmates at our usual haunt.  I treated myself to a fancier breakfast than usual.

In the afternoon, our family will be coming for a visit.  It will be lovely to have everyone together to mark my special day. We will get take out Thai food for dinner and we have a cake that was ordered for dessert. I will enjoy a glass of wine with dinner.

There are several cards that I've been given or received by mail which I will open and fully appreciate.  My husband has purchased a couple of gift items which I requested.

I am very grateful that I have reached this age of 65, as my mother did not.  Each year that I get closer to 70 puts the odds in my favor that I will live beyond 80, according to statistics.

I am also very grateful to be quite healthy, active and able to live independently in the way that I choose.  Many in my age group are not as fortunate.  I'm also blessed to have more senior friends as role models.  They thrive and live life with enthusiasm.  Some have health afflictions but continue to do what they enjoy within their capacities.

Now that I've arrived at this milestone, I do not feel as if my work here is done and that I can just fade away into the sunset.  My hope is that month by month, and year by year, I can relax more into the flow of life as it presents itself to me.  I want to be resilient and able to face challenges which arise with courage.  I want to live a joyful senior life, no matter my circumstances.

To that end, I will continue to be aware of my own personal biases about aging, and dismantling those.  I will focus instead on being an authentic expression of the person I feel that I am inside and support others in doing the same.

Onward!

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