My 50th Birthday Un-Bucket List

It’s about to happen ya’ll! In just a few more tick-tocks, I’ll hit the BIG 5-0. Many have gone before me, as my friend Becca puts it, “to reach the fifth floor,” and have appeared to come out unscathed. I love the concept that aging is an upward process, rather than a steady decline.

But, just like on New Year’s Day, I have been feeling pressure to make sweeping changes and giant resolutions for this “milestone birthday.” Run a marathon, lose 30 pounds, write a novel, jump out of an airplane … it’s like I am supposed to prove to the world that age is just a number. Well, I am here to tell you, it ain’t! Fifty years of living should come with a trophy and a nap!

As I think about how to mark this step into half a century, I have some trepidation, because 1. I won’t have gone through some amazing transformation; and 2. historically, a few of my birthdays have involved unexpected trauma. So how do I make this birthday special, fun, and a celebration of my journey? I’ve landed on the “UnBucket List.”

My 50th Birthday Un-Bucket List

1. I am not going to run a marathon. That would be an exercise in complete futility and likely go viral for all the wrong reasons. BUT, I am going to continue clunking around my women’s-only gym 3 times a week, where, not only do I have a bunch of like-bodied workout buddies, but I am also ensuring my bones are a little less creaky 20 years from now.
2. I am not going to lose 30 pounds. No celebrity diets, no “As Seen On TV” pills, no special drinks that clean my gut. That would mean giving up a lot of things I enjoy, like food with flavor and holiday pies. BUT, I am going to continue watching my sodium and sugar, having veggies with every meal, and skipping fast food – except on road trips. Wendy’s fries always taste better on the highway…
3. I am not going to write a novel. At least not right now. Although this one has always been in the back of my mind, I am officially taking the pressure off. BUT, I am going to continue blogging and reading and jotting down ideas as they come to me. That’s what is fun and fulfilling right now.
4. I am not going to jump out of an airplane. I can barely board the ones that promise to keep their doors closed. Without a doubt, I would surely pass out and wet my pants before the word “GO!” BUT, I am going to hop on a bird for a fabulous trip with my husband out west, where we are going to zen out, hike a (small) mountain, and hit a winery or two.

So there you have it. I am not doing a darn thing different now that I am turning 50. I am going to look at myself in the mirror, sags and all, and congratulate myself on a job well done. I am going to acknowledge all the hard work, the mistakes, and the growth that has gotten me to this exact place and rejoice in it.

I am going to stop wasting time trying to be perfect and just appreciate the imperfect 50-year-old me.