I have nothing but gratitude for being granted the privilege of another birthday. I carry in my heart and memories, my beloved friends who will never turn this age. I miss them dearly.
This year was a bit tough in some ways, including physically, so there is no extreme yoga pose picture to mark the date. Since I turned 50, I’ve had a photoshoot every year for my birthday, and in previous years, it’s been focused on my physical strength.
Alas, not this time around.
Turns out I have arthritis, bursitis, and tendinitis/tendinosis (one of each) in my shoulders. I’ve had MRIs and consultations with sports doctors, a couple of cortisone shots, and eventually, I found a great chiropractor, Dr. Andrew Wengert, who is helping me recover with extracorporeal shockwave therapy.
I have not stopped being active this past year, but I’ve had to get creative to keep moving without injuring myself further. It’s been a lesson in humility and patience.
For those who know I became a certified yoga instructor at 55, please know my relationship with yoga is even more profound now and it goes way beyond any physical pose. A yogic approach to life has helped me deal with constant pain and some physical limitations for many months.
That said, I’ve taken up dancing at Future of Dance, in Sarasota, with Leonie Hughes. I used to take jazz dance lessons, and I recently found a class for adults! So I laced up my new shoes and I’m back on the floor!
I’ve also bought a new pair of rollerblades and I’ve inline skated indoors at United Skates of Tampa, with my youngest, and also out on the pavement in areas that are exclusively for pedestrians, bike riders, and skaters.
Please know I don’t have osteoporosis or I may have skipped this activity that brings me so much joy.
I’m also back to paddleboarding and SUP yoga and recently I was able to spend a whole day in silence and meditation at Heartwood Yoga Institute. It was just what I needed.
Work is great, no complaints there – this blog, Viva Fifty which I launched at 50, is thriving to the point that my husband and business partner is now devoted solely to writing books and working with me. We make a great team if I may say so.
We are practically empty nesters now, after a bit of a rough year as parents. Our youngest is in college, just an hour from where we live, and we’re all super excited.
Life is messy, complicated, and has its ups and downs, but it also provides opportunities for growth and betterment and for figuring out ways to better be of service.
Thank you to absolutely everyone who is a part of my life in any way, big or small. Maybe all you know about me is limited to this blog post, which is quite alright.
I really am excited that hopefully, I get to plan an exciting 60th, because according to the fabulous women I know who are already that age and beyond, 60 looks extremely promising!
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