Thanks for joining me!
Where do I begin hmmm…Let me start by telling you about me and my crazy family.
When I turned 50 I thought wow I am really old, 50 really how did that creep up so fast!
But it was just another turning point in my life. Kids all left home empty nest syndrome set in badly at first so we got a dog for the first time that is a story in itself bless him!
Life had took on a whole new meaning, it was called freedom! Wow I can walk around naked, watch what I want on TV, cook what I like, read a book without getting disturbed and most importantly I can go to the loo without a banging on the door with a troubled daughter asking me the meaning of life. Well that’s what I thought.
But then it started, can we come over for dinner? Can you babysit? Can you pick the kids up? Can you take the kids to sport? The list goes on. Suddenly I see more of my family than I did when they lived with me. To be honest I really don’t mind. With four daughters it was never going to be a complete break.
Tuesday nights are the night I get a house full, all over for dinner, the girls their partners and the grand kids, my brother in law and of course I get the middle daughters dog too. My house turns into a crazy place with everyone wanting different meals and talking over each other constantly, and two dogs barking and chasing each other around man it is very loud and sends me in to a spin. After eating my husband and his brother sneak off to play darts and leave me among the chaos. I think I can handle things but sometimes I find it very difficult to keep up. Eventually they all go home and I am left cleaning the mess and exhausted. I am left thinking how the hell did I manage all this when they were at home,
I have often refer to my family as a helicopter family, we are extremely close and always sticking our noses into each other’s business, everyone is very opinionated and let’s just say we often agree to disagree or world war three breaks out. My daughters are always quick with a dig about my age and like to remind me I am in my 50’s, something I really don’t need reminding of.
I work full time and the rest of my time is taken up with family or going out with my husband, oh and how he loves going out, either drinks, a meal or to see a band whatever takes his fancy. Me on the other hand prefer to stay home and do my own thing but I rarely get the chance. I honestly thought once I turned 50 life would slow down but on the contrary it is in full swing.
My mum told me many years ago once you hit your forty to fifty everything you did in your early years will catch up with you, well wasn’t that the truth. I have had my right hip replaced at 44, I have had issues with my back and other aches and pains, but nothing is going to slow me down.
I guess the thing with turning 50 you don’t feel it you still feel young, then one day you look in the mirror and jump back thinking who the hell is that old bird looking at me in the mirror, news flash it me! I try to look after myself, creams lotions, hair dyes, eat right and try get some exercise but nothing helps but a cake of foundation and a load of makeup.
I recently had an incident where I decided to play beach cricket with the family, forgetting my age yet again and being a rather competitive person I was about to get run out so I took the big dive to save myself from being stumped and that was something I began to regret, yes I cracked a rib ouch, another reminder of my age haha.
Well as my journey towards 60 continues I am sure I will have a lot more tales to tell, of my crazy family and my struggles with accepting my age. Till then love who you are and enjoy every second.
“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path.