56

So hard to believe but I am 56. 56. My husband tells me as we ride home from the airport on the eve of my birthday Tuesday night, we are 4 years away from 60....yikes. There is no denying I am getting older.

I waved good-bye to my 85-year old father on Tuesday morning as we pulled out of the driveway and headed to the airport. He is healthy but....85. He has a hard time walking, has nearly lost the sight in one eye, needs hearing aids so that he can tune into the noisy world around him. But, he is a model of how taking care of your body keeps your body alive and free from major disease. I hope I am on my way with that by working out, eating healthy and managing stress and emotion in my life.

My dad is also a world traveler. He has driven with his brother through the green hills of Ireland, rode a camel through the dusty Egyptian desert, been in a car accident in Iran! He has traveled the world and at 85 has many great stories and memories. Listening to him last week as I visited him in Idaho, I vow to travel, with my husband, to one unique and amazing destination that we haven't been to before, once a year from now on. We plan on doing this when we retire in our mid-60s. But after visiting my dad and hearing about a colleague's husband who died unexpectedly at 60, I am reminded, once again, that I should not wait to live my life.

I begin my 56th year with plans for the next 30 years (God willing) and those plans include continued work on my health, plans for travel (love to travel with my brother again!), and living a creative life full of love and laughter, friends and family with my wonderful husband. My life is what I choose to make it.