The Hippie culture called it the “Summer of Love”. 1967, June 13, small town America…where I am sure they didn’t refer to it as the Summer of Love, but just a hot, humid summer day. They say that low pressure brings babies, and that was the day I entered the world~ wait for it….right smack dab in the middle of a tornado. My Dad was bailing water out of the hospital basement while my Mom was in labor. My older sister and brother were at some of my parents’ friends house, still wishing I was going to be the puppy that they had hoped for. It was 5:12 in the morning when I took my first breath of life, and life has been like the whirlwind that I was born in ever since.
To be honest, I really never thought I would make it this far. I was certain that I would be long gone from here way before I would ever see the half century mark. I have not been overly kind to my body or myself in the last 50 years, so it would only seem natural that the forces of life would have won the battle. But here I am. Holy Cow. FIFTY!!!!!! I DID IT!!!! With a little help from my family, my friends and a whole lotta guardian angels…here I am. Sitting at my dining room table, writing a blog post in a place I never dreamt I would live, surrounded by the best people in life a girl could ever ask for.
I was talking to a fellow ‘half-centarian’ a few days ago, and he asked me how I was handling this. I thought for a moment and it dawned on me that I am incredibly lucky. My dad passed away when he was 48 years old, he didn’t get to see his kids grow up, he only knew one of his grandchildren, he didn’t get to live a life of retirement with Mom. For whatever reason, the Good Lord called him home very young. In his honor this is what I am going to say….I am still here, and I am SO blessed. Kids are raised and they have incredible lives, I have the BEST grands a gramma could ask for. I have a husband (bless him) that loves me, even on my worst, hot-mess days. Friends that are among the best of the best (you know who you are) I have a life that I love. So, 50, you can rest assured that this is going to be the BEST year ever. I am going to rock it. This is going to be MY ‘summer of love’ that’s not going to end when the season changes. Loving Life, Loving Family, Loving Everyone and Everything that comes my way.
Despite the whirlwinds of life that have been around since 5:12 am that June morning (and the fact that I wasn’t the puppy my siblings had hoped for) I am turning these winds into nothing but love and positive vibes…the rest of it can just blow away….I made it to 50…I ain’t got no time for nothing but this eternal Summer of Love coming my way….
Love each and every one of y’all….xo
2sdaysgirl 