Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Forty-eight

When I turned 35, my father informed me that I was officially middle-aged. I begged to differ. Since he was 72 at that point, I told him I wasn't there yet -- and he almost made it to 95. Both of my mother's parents (born in the 19th century) lived into their 90's.

But today I completed my 48th trip around the sun. There's no denying I'm middle-aged -- whatever that means. Most of my contemporaries have kids in college, not kindergarten. I'll be 60 when Sweet Daughter graduates from high school. Hopefully, I'll be able to pass on some of what I've learned to smooth her path just a little, and encourage her to find her own way, wherever that takes her.  And if nothing else, maybe I can pass along a little wisdom from the Duke.

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learnt something from yesterday."  ~John Wayne


22 comments:

  1. 38 maybe, I don't believe 48. No way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy birthday. You've started middle-age? So that goes on for another 48 years, then?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Youngster :-) Happy birfday to you!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's statistically proven that people who live the longest have the most birthdays.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy birthday blogdaughter!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alan: Next time I see you, I'm buying you a drink. That made my day.

    North: At least another 48, I hope.


    Thanks for the good wishes, everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Uh uh, no.

    You had 48 years of young.

    48 is the start of the middle section - 48 years of being middle aged.

    96 starts 'old' - 48 years of being old after that...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Welcome to 48...glad another has joined me! Happy Birthday.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Birthday! I find it very hard to believe that you're 48...I've seen pictures of you!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hard to believe you're 48. Happy Birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  11. UNPOSSIBLE! AS My Wife reminds me, NO Woman is older than 21! They just celebrate their Anniversary every year. Something to do with the Space-Time Continuum, she says. Anyway, Happy 21st. Anniversary!

    ReplyDelete
  12. waitwaitWHAT?

    there is no way you're 48.



    (happy birthday!)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy Birthday, Friend! You're just a child! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  14. You do not look that old. Seriously. Beautiful.

    Happy B'Day Human!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks, Alan -- I've been trying to convince her for most of a decade she looks at least a decade younger than she is.

    SH

    ReplyDelete
  16. Two days late, and two dollars short.....

    ....but Happy Birthday!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Add me to the club who doesn't believe you on your age!

    If I look as good as you at 48...well it means I paid a LOT of money for Gender Re-assignment surgery!

    Happy B-Day!

    ReplyDelete
  18. 48. Is that all? Pah! Happy Birthday young'n.

    ReplyDelete