Another Journey Begins

Good morning, and here we go again! The thought of blogging every single day for an entire year appeals to me very, very much...right up until it doesn't. I mean, yeah, I've got lots of fun new stuff to share with you, and plenty of fun old stuff too, but I want you to actually want to read it, you know? 

So for this particular series, from age 49 to 50, as I finish my 50th year of life on Planet Earth, I'll try to keep things a little more relaxed than last time around. My goal with this series is to share all kinds of random crap (I say that with love) from my life I think you'll find interesting. I hope you do anyway!

For starters, today is my birthday, so, you know, there's that. I'm 49. Seven times seven. Very weird age, honestly. Odd numbers always feel extra weird to me for some reason, but this one, the last of a decade, feels particularly weird. It's like I'm less 49 and more "no longer 48" and "not yet 50", if that makes any sense.

Here's a picture I took of myself this morning:

Do I look tired? That's just because I am.

Do I look annoyed that I'm working, and in the office today? I am not, I promise! 

No, this look is merely momentary evidence of me thinking too deeply about another birthday. I'm profoundly grateful to still be here though. Why do I say that? Well...

I've always had this notion in the back of my head that I would die young, but as every new year comes and goes, the word "young" takes on new meaning. A friend in her 80s would very quickly tell me that 49 is quite young. A niece or nephew in their 20s would be...less likely to say how young 49 is. And that's okay too. I think my belief about dying young (it's not a fear) just stems from an innate desire and persistent drive to appreciate this amazing lifetime on Earth for as long as I'm blessed to have it, so if a simple thought like this, however wrong it may turn out to be, is keeping me grateful, then I'm happy to keep it in mind.

Alright, that's it. You're done. Good job! I'll stop there for now. The picture below is on the other side of my office here at work. It's a cute little sign my work friend Lisa put up for me this morning. It makes me very happy.