As I sit here tonight, 6 days before I turn 50 years old, I can’t help but contemplate where my life is. I am sure we all go through these moments. I mean, come on!!! I am going to be FIFTY! Half a century!! That is simply crazy! Mostly because I seriously feel like I am 20 again.

When I was in my early 20’s, life was so much different. I was so much different, of course, as I had no worries. I had never been through heartache, death, sadness. I had my large group of friends that I worked/lived/partied with. Life was easy. It may not have always SEEMED easy at the time, but looking back now, I KNOW it was! My biggest problem was…hmm…can’t really think of any. I had my whole life ahead of me. My plan, of course, was to get married, have kids, have a good job, go on vacations. you know–the normal plan.

Let’s see how that turned out….got married, finally, at age 40, to the guy I met when I was 24. Decided at age 35 not to have kids, so got many 4-legged kids instead. Went from job to job,feeling lost, looking for my passion. I finally found it at age 33, while I was in massage school, and have been doing it ever since. I guess you could say, I’m a late bloomer!

You just can’t really plan your life, because that is when you are let down. I totally love my life now, and love it more and more every day.

In the past 6 years, my life has changed a lot, starting with the discovery of Reiki in April 2010. My first session was the beginning of the end of the old me. I started learning about intuition, angels, tarot cards, spirituality. I started letting go of my hangups, and started really becoming ME! I started stepping away from the ways of thinking that I was taught as a kid, and discovering new ideas and beliefs on my own:–ideas that didn’t necessarily jive with those of my family members. But, I also stopped worrying about what other people thought, and started voicing my own opinion. AND, I learned when to keep my opinion to myself. After I discovered Reiki, I started taking classes, and in 2014 became a Reiki Master, the highest level of Reiki. I became a medium in 2015 so I could talk to the deceased loved ones of my clients in their Reiki sessions. Every time I learn a new skill, I find several others I want to learn next. It is a whole new world, that I am loving to the core of my being.

In the numerology world, this past year was a 9 year, which is a big ending year. The huge thing that this means to ME is that on my 50th birthday, I start my 1 year! How epic is that!! My second half of life will start new and fresh. It will be totally different from the first half, in an amazing way. I have never been so excited for a birthday! While most people are dreading it, I am embracing it. I look better, I feel better, I am healthy, I am loved, I love, I have passion. I have curiosity. I have drive. I have laziness. I have a husband who loves me and supports me learning all about myself. I have a pack who loves me, and I love them. I would never say life was perfect, because that would mean there is no room for improvement. But it is pretty darn close.

So, in the second half of my life, I have decided I need to set more goals. That is something my first half lacked. I need to save money, but I also need to travel more. I need to meet more people. I need to continue being me. I need to keep learning about myself, and meditate daily, and exercise. I need to have fun. I need to play, play, play.

And I will, starting with my 50th birthday party in a week. I am celebrating the me-yet-to-come with friends from my entire life. Friends flying in from Mass, Ohio, Texas, New Mexico. Friends from now, and friends from the past. We are all getting together for one night of fun. It is very humbling, and exciting to know that this is all to help bring in the rest of my life. And, I will enjoy every minute of it, as the new me, who is alcohol-free (the young me is cringing). I will talk, and hug, and dance, and cry, with those I have known since I was 15, up to those I met last year.

And, then, the next day, I will wake up smiling, for it will be the first day of the rest of my life. And, I am very thankful for that.

Until next time….