Today I'm celebrating my fifty-fifth spin around the sun. Tomorrow I celebrate eight years of writing a blog that I never imagined could garner over a million hits while helping parents of kids with epilepsy wean from their benzodiazepines, navigate the world of medicinal cannabis oils, and understand that they are not alone.
In honor of the milestone, for which I'm most grateful—grateful to my parents for having "mistakenly" made me, grateful for being alive, grateful for being healthy beyond a few achy joints, grateful for, and humbled by, the many privileges I enjoy due to the accident of birth—I squeezed into a favorite t-shirt I haven't worn in years, one that has the number 55 emblazoned on its front.
My mother used to tell me that we never really reach maturity, rather we continue to mature as long as we are alive. As a youngster, I thought that sounded pretty wise and thoughtful, and I fully embraced the notion. Since then I've continued to enjoy getting older. I figure with age comes experience and with experience comes wisdom. At least I hope I'm getting wiser; Oscar Wilde said age can sometimes come alone—yesterday's regrettable senate vote on supreme court nominee Bart (or is it Boof?) O'Kavanaugh was a validation of said premise.
Over time, I've come to consider birthdays as opportunities to explore how I can improve myself and find new ways to contribute to the betterment of the world. This year, I'd like to get back into jogging with the hope of lowering my stress level and strengthening my body, and perhaps fit into my jeans and tops with a little more wiggle room. I also want to use my agency to change the stale political paradigm, want to smash the conservative white-male patriarchy into bits, want to support new faces and voices, and promote progressive ways of managing an ever-changing world. Conservatism and originalism be damned. Nothing is fixed. The only constant is change.
So, as I celebrate another passing year, I hope to remain open and brave, not fearful and closed. I hope to see each day with new eyes ready to explore the beautiful and awful unknown. I hope to embrace humility while remaining fierce in my fight against bigotry, and sturdy in my struggle for justice. Most of all, I hope to keep growing older for a long while, and I aim with my everything to evolve.
In honor of the milestone, for which I'm most grateful—grateful to my parents for having "mistakenly" made me, grateful for being alive, grateful for being healthy beyond a few achy joints, grateful for, and humbled by, the many privileges I enjoy due to the accident of birth—I squeezed into a favorite t-shirt I haven't worn in years, one that has the number 55 emblazoned on its front.
My mother used to tell me that we never really reach maturity, rather we continue to mature as long as we are alive. As a youngster, I thought that sounded pretty wise and thoughtful, and I fully embraced the notion. Since then I've continued to enjoy getting older. I figure with age comes experience and with experience comes wisdom. At least I hope I'm getting wiser; Oscar Wilde said age can sometimes come alone—yesterday's regrettable senate vote on supreme court nominee Bart (or is it Boof?) O'Kavanaugh was a validation of said premise.
Over time, I've come to consider birthdays as opportunities to explore how I can improve myself and find new ways to contribute to the betterment of the world. This year, I'd like to get back into jogging with the hope of lowering my stress level and strengthening my body, and perhaps fit into my jeans and tops with a little more wiggle room. I also want to use my agency to change the stale political paradigm, want to smash the conservative white-male patriarchy into bits, want to support new faces and voices, and promote progressive ways of managing an ever-changing world. Conservatism and originalism be damned. Nothing is fixed. The only constant is change.
So, as I celebrate another passing year, I hope to remain open and brave, not fearful and closed. I hope to see each day with new eyes ready to explore the beautiful and awful unknown. I hope to embrace humility while remaining fierce in my fight against bigotry, and sturdy in my struggle for justice. Most of all, I hope to keep growing older for a long while, and I aim with my everything to evolve.
Happy Birthday dear person! Wishing you health, strength and happiness. xoxo
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! I think that's the purpose of our lives, to continue to grow, to understand ourselves and others better, to love.
ReplyDeleteI like the pic. Knowing smile.
ReplyDelete