“Wait till you’re my age!”

“Wait till you’re my age!” 

A five-word challenge I’ve heard from my elders at least a bazillion times over the years. Heck, I’ve probably spouted it off myself a couple thousand times to the youngsters in my life. 

Well, I turn 59 today. I’m so close to 60, I can see it from here. 

Crazy. I didn’t think I’d survive to my 30s, never mind 60s! And the way I was living in my early 20s, it’s a miracle I did (I may have been really dumb, but man, did I have fun!). 

So, here I am at the tail end of my quinquagenarian (yep, that’s a real word) decade, and I am more functionally fit and feel better than I did 10, 20, or even 30 years ago. 

I know, I am blessed. And I thank God every day for my health and energy. It’s a gift. So is whatever internal drive and determination I’ve been blessed with to maintain it. 

I recognize, like all of God’s blessings, these gifts and why He’s bestowed them on me is a mystery known only to Him. 

I am simply grateful. 

That could be part of the reason I celebrate each year with birthday burpees. 

Sure, I consider them a sorta test. They really suck. More so every year. So yeah, they’re a test of my mental and physical toughness, and my resolve to push back on the decline and degradations of aging. 

But I also consider them an offering of thanksgiving. I am thankful I can still do them, grateful that I have sufficient strength, mobility, and balance to do hard things. 

I am thankful for the optimism that the doing of hard things gives rise to.  

And so I approach my 60th year on this earth with an abundance of gratitude and optimism. I can’t wait to see what wonder, joy, and challenges are in store for me. 

“Wait till you’re my age!” Heck yeah, LFG! It’s gonna be awesome.