something I am grateful for today

[johncomic]

 getting old

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Today is my sixtieth birthday.  

I'm observing this milestone date with rather less anxiety than I did fifty or forty. I'm delighted to be here! Sure beats the alternative -- or, at least, the only alternative we have currently. (Can't help thinking about this, as I realize that one of my late big brothers never lived to see sixty, so in that sense I am fortunate.) I can't remember the last time I was this excited about my birthday! Plus I have the added bonus of being eligible for the senior discount at some retailers now...  

A while back, I realized that my fifties were clearly my fave decade to date. Life changed in significant ways for me in my fifties, and, now that they have drawn to a close, I feel like I can expect these changes to continue. I learned a lot over the last decade, maybe because I finally reached the point where I was willing to listen. So when I take stock today, things are good.  

Today I am happier, healthier, and better. I am [except for a few aches and creaks] in better health and in better shape than I was at fifty, or at forty. I have a better sense of who I am, what I need, and how I want my life to be. I am more productive and creative than I was ten or twenty years ago. This, here and now, is the best I have ever been. (But I'll be honest, I am a little surprised to find myself saying all this -- it certainly never seemed self-evident back in the day!)  

TL;DR: you don't necessarily have to fear getting old. (I understand that a lot of people do.) You might have more opportunity than you know to change life for the better once you get here... so give it a chance.