Strength by Carol Browne, on Flickr
Next week, G-d willing, I will be celebrating a significant milestone in my life – achieving the half-century mark. As I fully intend to live to be 100, that’s halfway through my life’s journey.
Hillel says, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?” Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14
As I recently said to my friend Jodi, also turning 50 this year, they don’t make 50 like they used to. Once upon a time, a 50-year-old woman was old. Nowadays, I know 60-year-olds who easily bike over a hundred kilometres a day. I know octogenarians who regularly hit the gym. We are fortunate.
So, this is the year I am going to run at least one 5K (I did one last October, but I’ve let it slip since), lift heavy things and become a strong, healthy person. Maybe I’ll even run a 10K. Why not?
This is also the year I am going to find my passion and go after it. I’m going to kick the Lizard Brain in its scaly tail. I’ve spent too much time worrying and procrastinating and reading Facebook. I don’t know yet what I want to be but I’ve got to grow up sometime. If not now, when?
This is the year I’m going to figure out the veggie paleo gig and blog about it. You are all warned. It may seem like a contradiction in terms, but I’m going to find a way to make it work. It may not be fully paleo or fully veggie, but that’s OK. If it works for me and my family, it is good. If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
This is the year I’m going to find ways to give back to my community. I keep meaning to go out and volunteer with all kinds of worthy causes, but there is always something else going on. Enough. I need to do it. I do some things, but I need to do more, and I need to involve my kids. We all spend too much time in front of screens. If I am only for myself, what am I?
Whether you are hitting a significant milestone or have just noticed that time is slipping by, what are your plans for this year?
Right on dear daughter of mine. I cast my mind back to 50 and it was Voyager at Saturn and your Mom doing her Ph.D. and life full of excitement. In retrospect, there is too much retrospect and to quote Whittier “For of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: ‘It might have been!'” We all make mistakes and sometimes there is no remedy, but we push on. Go for it.