By the Gregorian calendar, I turned 51 on 6 November 2021. 51 is a big milestone. So, I want to share what life was like on that very day, from the perspective of someone who was reaching the 51st milestone of her life.
It was a beautiful day to turn 51, and the green leaves on the trees across my balcony were moving slowly, as if dancing to the morning breeze. The sound of rustling leaves, was like music to my ears. Sitting on the balcony, sipping my espresso – just being present in the moment.
Life was slowly coming into being, in its familiar forms. I heard the sound of a car passing on the street across my balcony. I heard the sound of the washing machine trembling in my kitchen. I heard the sound of dialogues on television in the living room. I heard a pitter-patter sound on the balcony door. It was my cat trying to come out.
It was a day of self-reflection and I was thinking. Life is. Now. Life is. Being. Being is a verb. Life is, life is. Being alive and well – and just being – is a present. That’s why we must live in the present – and be in gratitude.
I am neither old nor young. Young and old are relative concepts. It depends on the mind and the eyes of the beholder. To the younger people, I may be ‘old’ — and to the older people, I may be ‘young’.
I do not feel old. I do not worry about aging – and all the things that come with it. I will cross whatever bridge there is, only when I come to it. I will feel whatever I am feeling – allow myself to be vulnerable. I will stay true to my authentic self and stay humble. I will stay hungry for knowledge and experience. I will certainly keep my mind open.
When I was then in my early forties, someone, whose wisdom I trusted, said people tend to get more and more set in their ways the older they get. That was the moment I made up my mind, to not do this. I decided to stay open minded – at any age that I am. I have since kept my promise to keep my mind open — and always a little more open than is comfortable.
Having said that, I do not believe in ‘old age’ as a concept. I do not subscribe to the notion that people are expected to live in a certain way after reaching a certain age. I will not fit into society’s expectation and concept of aging. I don’t believe in ‘retirement’ in the old-style sense. That is all it is.
Oh, wait, that is not all.
Don’t forget to look after your teeth. Go to the dentist more often! Take care of your skin…don’t forget to put on sunscreen on a hot day outdoors. Drink lots of water and keep yourself hydrated. Don’t forget your annual medical check-ups. And…don’t forget to spread love and laughter!
