The Annual Birthday List: Six Decades + 2 Bonus Years

This has become a new tradition…posting on the day of my birth.

Next week, I will be returning to my series on how to move cross-country and way out of your comfort zone. But 62 (count ’em, 62!) years ago, my mother had to interrupt Groucho Marx (who was on TV, not in our home) to be rushed to the hospital by my father who was, ironically, an obstetrician.

Fast forward six decades and then some. Mine is the first generation of women to have careers, families, and medical science that can keep us healthy well into triple-digits. We are trailblazers and yet are still figuring it all out as we get older. We have no road map for life after 50. Most of us have “aged-out” of corporate jobs. We have our own businesses and are moms and grandmoms, while also caring for aging parents. It’s complicated and yet exciting.

Here is my annual list. I would have created an accompanying Instagram story for people who no longer read, but perhaps next year…

To all you women out there…don’t fear aging! I am wiser and happier than I have ever been.

To everyone of any age…don’t ever be afraid to re-boot your life. I have done it several times in the past decade and, although it’s scary as hell, you won’t regret it.

This post is dedicated to all the true girlfriends who have seen me through tough times, my daughters (my finest work, although I’ve had lots of jobs in the 40 years since I graduated), and the “mystery man” who always me wisdom, insights, and many laughs.

A great exercise no matter what age you are is to reflect back on the past years and look for patterns — those things that always made you laugh…made you feel alive…gave you that jolt of passion and energy. We are living in a world of the “new” but some things (like me and my list) are timeless.

So here goes:

62 Things

10 favorite (and timeless) words

1. Balance
2. Kindness
3. Intimacy
4. Community
5. Provocateur (which I have been called on occasion)
6. Innovation
7. Forgiveness
8. Passion
9. Travel
10. Communication

10 places I still want to go and things I want to do

1. Italy (again)
2. Paris (with a kiss on the Seine this time)
3. Morocco (perhaps during Fez)
4. Sedona (again)
5. Ski (again) OR the Turks & Caicos (again): Depends on global warming
6. Do one thing every week that’s out of my comfort zone
7. Read 13 books in 2018 (one a month plus a bonus)
8. Get a Masters in Journalism
9. Make money writing
10. Get into the best shape I’ve been in during my adult life

8 Things I No Longer Have Patience For

1. Excuses
2. Toxic people
3. Takers
4. Whiners
5. Cruelty
6. Really long meetings
7. Women who don’t support other women
8. Men who don’t support women (or, worse yet, take advantage of power)

10 Things I Will Always Love

1. Writing
2. Myself (except on really bad days)
3. Getting older and wiser (except on really bad days)
4. Comic books
5. Reading
6. Hand crafts (knitting, needle arts)
7. Going to trade shows and seeing what’s new. (OK…that’s a little weird…I admit)
8. Useful technology and the intersection of man (woman) and machine
9. Movies and TV with great casts and/or story lines
10. Storytelling
11. Memories of my dad, brother, grandparents, and wacky aunts (RIP)
12. Old photos
13. People who make me laugh – and laughing out loud (in reality, not typing LOL)
14. People who inspire me
15. People who know how to communicate well and kindly
16. Hoop earrings
17. Boots
18. Dancing (even though I don’t do it well)
19. Rock and roll
20. Concerts (see 18 and 19)
21. Flavored coffee
22. Caribbean beaches
23. Gadgets
24. Unwrapping packages and mail (except bills and IRS correspondence)
25. Cowgirl lore

Things I Miss From My Youth

1. Very Little

How I Will Celebrate

1. Create an official three day weekend celebration. (I took Friday off…went to the gym…got a massage…got my hair done)
2. Talk to my daughters
3. Talk to my mother
4. Sun!
5. Exercise
6. Buying a fun gift for myself (I confess…I’ve got a thing for Sephora, Best Buy, Amazon, and Target)
7. Raising money for my charity
8. Posting this blog (hopefully to inspire other 50+ women)

Plus here’s a special bonus from an “old lady…”

10 Lessons I’ve Learned

1. Cherish every day; be grateful
2. Don’t take yourself too seriously
3. Love with abandon (even though you sometimes get hurt)
4. Forgive (unless someone is a chronic offender)
5. You can be hot and cool at any age
6. You can reverse the aging process – it’s all about taking care of your mind and body
7. I will always love making lists

For other posts about aging and reflecting , check out:

• 120 Things I Learned in 60 Years
• 120 Things (Part Deux)
• The Birthday Reborn
• The Uber of Nanas

And, if you want to read my more serious stuff (but always with a little edge) check out my Inc.com column — Bots & Bodies.  I could always use more “eyeballs” for my birthday and all year round! I do, by the way, plan to live to 122.