Today, I’ve decided to start a countdown. A three-month countdown. This countdown will culminate in, what is for me, a milestone moment in life. For the record, today’s date is April 11, 2018. And yes, I’m getting older.

Like many other people, I have goals and lofty dreams that silently push me forward – sometimes gently, other times with a mighty shove. Throughout my life, I’ve hit the bullseye on many occasions and, probably just as many times I’ve missed the mark. But time marches on. And that’s a good thing. Forward momentum, right? Right.

So, what am I counting down towards? Three months from today, on July 11, 2018 . . .I turn 55!

While some women may be itching to turn back the clock, I revel in this moment…this passage of time…this step that leads me further into midlife.

Fifty-five, people!

That excites the hell outta me. Now, I won’t sit here and tell you harrowing, embellished tales of woe that marked my life up to this point because, quite frankly, by and large there haven’t been that many (and the one defining moment that still haunts me to this day, well . . . I’ll keep that to myself, thank you very much).

Here’s my reality: I don’t fear getting older.

Yup, I said that out loud…that’s how badass I am.

True, every now and then I get a ripple in my heart when I think about mortality – not just my own, but that of loved ones and friends who I hold close. Each passing year inches us closer to our final resting place, but I cannot live life drenched in the fear of what the future holds. I would much rather focus on living my life while I’m living.

I will celebrate 55 (and I’m not talking about the speed limit, either). I will welcome it. I will herald its arrival. I will hold the door wide open, embrace it like a long-lost friend and lovingly accept it into my life for the next 365 days. “Come in, come in. Please, make yourself comfortable,” I will say, and 55 will step into my being and fill me to the brim like hot, soothing java in a well-worn mug.

I used to think turning 50 was the epitome of my existence. You know, sort of the ‘halfway’ point in life (yeah, I’m assuming I’m going to live until 100). But now I’m five years older and five years wiser. Turning 50 wasn’t the pinnacle of my life. To accept that would be to accede that my life is now on a downward slope. Nope. It’s not. Far from it.

Today my countdown begins.

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