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What is 51?

 What is 51? Good question. When we turn 50, everyone celebrates. “You’ve reached a milestone,” they say. “Life is golden.”

But I turned 50 in a pandemic. At that point, you thank God for being alive. It’s still sweet, but different. A year later, I’m still thankful. But it’s different. It’s almost like a letdown from the “golden” year. 


Be clear, though…I’m super grateful. I do NOT take my life for granted. I lost my first friend at 23. I realize that aging is a privilege not afforded to all. 


To me, 51 means that I’m now “in my 50s.” No matter how much I try to deny it, I’m now considered a “woman of a certain age.” AARP is a real consideration and there are places I can take advantage of the “senior” discount.


I also realize that I probably have more days behind me than in front of me. That’s a little daunting. But you know what? It doesn’t mean that I’ll give up. Life still goes on, and I have a lot to do before I get out of here.


Most of all, I think 51 means not apologizing for my choices. I’m grown enough to do exactly what I want to do. Period. I’m sorry if you’re offended, but that’s on you and not my problem.

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