GREAT PIECE! I identified with so much of it. Now I am on the cusp of turning 80 and that is so inconceivable to me. How the hell did I get here so fast? And you know what? I’m still obsessing about the 10 pounds I want to lose. Ah, womanhood. ❤️❤️
Happy Birthday! This thoughtful reflection was a balm to read and a positive start to my day. Getting older is quite freeing, and for someone who hit 50 several years ago, I feel that is even more true today.
There’s so much good stuff in here, that I’d basically be copying and pasting much of it to comment on all that shines. But this stood out to a nonbeliever like me. It’s a beautifully written and completely spot on take of how this heathen views the non heathens.
“Maybe they legitimately believe and they are indeed at peace, but it’s not because they’ve made peace with not knowing. Not controlling. It’s just that they’ve achieved the illusion of certainty about the inherently uncertain. They’re grasping at the reins of a wild, runaway horse. They feel like they’ve made progress on a 50 ka-jillion piece puzzle with most of the pieces missing.”
Happy birthday young lady. Fifty is great (comparatively speaking). At 50, I started on my journey of not giving a #uck what people thought about me.
Happy Birthday, Holly from your 🎂 Birthday Twin! It’s my birthday too. I’m 64 today! I’ve been playing the Beatles song ‘When I’m Sixty-four’ a lot.
It only gets better.
So perimenopause ends! 🙌🏼I shaved my head under a full moon at 58, so no more hair dye—embracing my full on grey. I love my fuller goddess body. People seek me out as wise crone. And I know to my bones, that I am loved fully and unconditionally. Joy permeates. Life is about letting go and change. What an incredible gift- this thing called Life!
I hope your day, your week, your month and this year are filled with deep joy, love and even more laughter than you already give us! 💗
This is both funny and poignant, filled with truth and heartfelt reflections -- coming to you from a 67-year-old who's been there and done that and is (maybe) a lot freer now and far more authentic in who I am and what I believe in (or not). Very nice job. Enjoyed the read!
This got buried in my inbox, but it has made me laugh out loud on this dreary day and I will share with my friends so they can rollick too. Happy Happy belated birthday and welcome to being "an older woman." I am 68, so have been "invisible" for almost two decades now! You have the wonderful perspective and a glittering sense of humor about life's presents. And presence. Thank you very much for your words. Mood lifted high. Bless you.
What a fun read. Your writing craft is admirable. Have you ever done standup comedy? Reading this feels like listening to a really clever comedy sketch.
What a blessing to this universe that you are in it! You could be in some parallel dimension where you would have the power of losing weight at will but would not add as much light and hope to the world. I am so happy you're here with the rest of us!
If it's only extra glasses you need, you've done well! 👐
I'm a couple of months away from 60, and in top of the glasses I can also feel a few more joints I didn't know I had🤪 and don't get me started on the grey hair 🫣!
But all being said and done, I'm at the point where I'm proud of every grey hair and wrinkle I have - I've earned them all!
Happy birthday! If your kids haven't already reminded you that you are no longer cool, they will. Now is your chance to embrace your lack of cool. Bonus: you get to look askance at contemporaries who foolishly believe they still can be cool.
I've learned that impostor syndrome is a good thing. It means I'm not not an arrogant, f***ing a**hole. It's particularly comforting when some of the most brilliant people you know also admit to impostor syndrome. You know whom to worry about? The people who claim not to experience impostor syndrome, because they indeed probably don't, and they're insufferable.
The whole death thing kicked in for me when I turned 60. A death notice popped up in my newsfeed. "Joe Such-and-such died today. He was 75." I'd think, "Yeah, I'd always known that a lot of people die in their seventies, but 15 years from now? That's not much time." I think about this constantly.
Regarding hell (specifically, going there): in my former evangelical existence, I used to have panic attacks (and lots of them) about going to hell. Flying could be particularly stressful. One of the contradictions of much evangelical theology (which I didn't experience as such at the time) is that in principle, God is abundantly merciful, but, in practice, he is quite a mean old f***er. (I blame capitalism: a deity made in the image of the merciless boss who presides over the discontented laborers unhappy with their meager wages and benefits.) And now? I can fly, and my greatest fear is how physically uncomfortable I'll be.
At 70, I’ve discovered that I have a lot more to say than I ever thought I would, which kind of makes sense since I’ve lived a lot longer than when I first thought about being old enough to have anything to say. Thanks for sharing this epiphanic maelstrom of whatever this truthiness is. I felt like I was in the midst of your breathtaking revelations and delighted in the unexpected serendipities and harmonic resonances. Peace to you in the next 50.
The subscription was more than worth this post alone. Look forward to many more as I approach my 84th year. Happy birthday to my daughter's best friend❤️kb
GREAT PIECE! I identified with so much of it. Now I am on the cusp of turning 80 and that is so inconceivable to me. How the hell did I get here so fast? And you know what? I’m still obsessing about the 10 pounds I want to lose. Ah, womanhood. ❤️❤️
Happy Birthday, Holly. I thought of you when I read today's post by Sr. Joan Chittister in The Monastic Way. It made me smile.
To fear the flesh rather than to
learn from it leaves us half alive.
“When I hear somebody sigh that
‘Life is hard,’” Sidney J. Harris
wrote, “I am always tempted to
ask, ‘Compared to what?’”
Happy Birthday! This thoughtful reflection was a balm to read and a positive start to my day. Getting older is quite freeing, and for someone who hit 50 several years ago, I feel that is even more true today.
There’s so much good stuff in here, that I’d basically be copying and pasting much of it to comment on all that shines. But this stood out to a nonbeliever like me. It’s a beautifully written and completely spot on take of how this heathen views the non heathens.
“Maybe they legitimately believe and they are indeed at peace, but it’s not because they’ve made peace with not knowing. Not controlling. It’s just that they’ve achieved the illusion of certainty about the inherently uncertain. They’re grasping at the reins of a wild, runaway horse. They feel like they’ve made progress on a 50 ka-jillion piece puzzle with most of the pieces missing.”
Happy birthday young lady. Fifty is great (comparatively speaking). At 50, I started on my journey of not giving a #uck what people thought about me.
Happy Birthday, Holly from your 🎂 Birthday Twin! It’s my birthday too. I’m 64 today! I’ve been playing the Beatles song ‘When I’m Sixty-four’ a lot.
It only gets better.
So perimenopause ends! 🙌🏼I shaved my head under a full moon at 58, so no more hair dye—embracing my full on grey. I love my fuller goddess body. People seek me out as wise crone. And I know to my bones, that I am loved fully and unconditionally. Joy permeates. Life is about letting go and change. What an incredible gift- this thing called Life!
I hope your day, your week, your month and this year are filled with deep joy, love and even more laughter than you already give us! 💗
Omg! I’ve never met anyone with my birthday
This is both funny and poignant, filled with truth and heartfelt reflections -- coming to you from a 67-year-old who's been there and done that and is (maybe) a lot freer now and far more authentic in who I am and what I believe in (or not). Very nice job. Enjoyed the read!
This got buried in my inbox, but it has made me laugh out loud on this dreary day and I will share with my friends so they can rollick too. Happy Happy belated birthday and welcome to being "an older woman." I am 68, so have been "invisible" for almost two decades now! You have the wonderful perspective and a glittering sense of humor about life's presents. And presence. Thank you very much for your words. Mood lifted high. Bless you.
What a fun read. Your writing craft is admirable. Have you ever done standup comedy? Reading this feels like listening to a really clever comedy sketch.
What a blessing to this universe that you are in it! You could be in some parallel dimension where you would have the power of losing weight at will but would not add as much light and hope to the world. I am so happy you're here with the rest of us!
Happy Birthday, Holly!
Happy Birthday Holly!
If it's only extra glasses you need, you've done well! 👐
I'm a couple of months away from 60, and in top of the glasses I can also feel a few more joints I didn't know I had🤪 and don't get me started on the grey hair 🫣!
But all being said and done, I'm at the point where I'm proud of every grey hair and wrinkle I have - I've earned them all!
Have a wonderful day!
Happy birthday! If your kids haven't already reminded you that you are no longer cool, they will. Now is your chance to embrace your lack of cool. Bonus: you get to look askance at contemporaries who foolishly believe they still can be cool.
I've learned that impostor syndrome is a good thing. It means I'm not not an arrogant, f***ing a**hole. It's particularly comforting when some of the most brilliant people you know also admit to impostor syndrome. You know whom to worry about? The people who claim not to experience impostor syndrome, because they indeed probably don't, and they're insufferable.
The whole death thing kicked in for me when I turned 60. A death notice popped up in my newsfeed. "Joe Such-and-such died today. He was 75." I'd think, "Yeah, I'd always known that a lot of people die in their seventies, but 15 years from now? That's not much time." I think about this constantly.
Regarding hell (specifically, going there): in my former evangelical existence, I used to have panic attacks (and lots of them) about going to hell. Flying could be particularly stressful. One of the contradictions of much evangelical theology (which I didn't experience as such at the time) is that in principle, God is abundantly merciful, but, in practice, he is quite a mean old f***er. (I blame capitalism: a deity made in the image of the merciless boss who presides over the discontented laborers unhappy with their meager wages and benefits.) And now? I can fly, and my greatest fear is how physically uncomfortable I'll be.
Amen amen and amen. Thanks Richard.
At 70, I’ve discovered that I have a lot more to say than I ever thought I would, which kind of makes sense since I’ve lived a lot longer than when I first thought about being old enough to have anything to say. Thanks for sharing this epiphanic maelstrom of whatever this truthiness is. I felt like I was in the midst of your breathtaking revelations and delighted in the unexpected serendipities and harmonic resonances. Peace to you in the next 50.
Happy Birthday! So much here, both pro found and funny. Thank you!
The subscription was more than worth this post alone. Look forward to many more as I approach my 84th year. Happy birthday to my daughter's best friend❤️kb
Your daughter is awesome! Love you all.
Happy birthday!
So nice to finally meet you in person!
Likewise! That was an interesting debate! I even got crackers out of it! 🙄
As far as I know, weight is not recorded on death certificates. One less thing to think about. Happy Birthday!
Whew! Thank you for telling me this. :)