In the midst of all the holiday bustle, we had an important birthday to celebrate. My MIH mother-in-heart is not a typical mother in law -- she is only 10 years older than me -- and feels more like a soul sister than anything. She was the bonus in my marriage to her son. I can hear you doing the math ... yes he is younger than me ...
We all went to see the movie It's Complicated that starred Meryl Streep in all her "older woman" glory. Of course that spurred conversation afterwards with all of us weighing in on our thoughts about beauty, the effects of aging, monumental birthdays etc. We laughed at the line in the movie where Meryl Streep, referring to her naked parts, tells her ex-husband that "things look different standing up than when lying down". Aint that the truth!
When you are farther along the aging continuum, birthdays are somewhat bittersweet. The bitter part may be the official notification that you have consumed another year of life in your sum total - and are moving along the second half of your life. The sweet part is that it is also a reminder that you have lived another year, and are alive to celebrate another. Definitely a privilege not to be squandered - but celebrated.
MIH is a great example of someone who is forging fearlessly into the aging abyss.We agreed that neither of us had faced a bithday - or age - with dread or drama. In a few months I will turn 50. Truthfully, I am excited. Many never get the opportunity to live to 50 and I am looking forward to embracing this new decade.
After the movie we went to my sis-in-law's for cake and coffee. How perfect was it that the birthday cake was lemon mousse ... sweet and sour and overall - supremely delicious and enjoyed by all!
So happy birthday MIH ... you wear the years like designer duds and prove that youthfulness and vitality are not measured in years but rather, are qualities of the spirit that are exuded. Thanks for another year of happy.
We all went to see the movie It's Complicated that starred Meryl Streep in all her "older woman" glory. Of course that spurred conversation afterwards with all of us weighing in on our thoughts about beauty, the effects of aging, monumental birthdays etc. We laughed at the line in the movie where Meryl Streep, referring to her naked parts, tells her ex-husband that "things look different standing up than when lying down". Aint that the truth!
When you are farther along the aging continuum, birthdays are somewhat bittersweet. The bitter part may be the official notification that you have consumed another year of life in your sum total - and are moving along the second half of your life. The sweet part is that it is also a reminder that you have lived another year, and are alive to celebrate another. Definitely a privilege not to be squandered - but celebrated.
MIH is a great example of someone who is forging fearlessly into the aging abyss.We agreed that neither of us had faced a bithday - or age - with dread or drama. In a few months I will turn 50. Truthfully, I am excited. Many never get the opportunity to live to 50 and I am looking forward to embracing this new decade.
After the movie we went to my sis-in-law's for cake and coffee. How perfect was it that the birthday cake was lemon mousse ... sweet and sour and overall - supremely delicious and enjoyed by all!
So exciting that you went to see It's Complicated...how was it?
ReplyDeleteCut photo of MIH....she looks great in that picture :)
Jen
I love birthdays! And I'm glad to hear that someone else has married a younger boy. My soon-to-be-hubby is 6 years younger than I am and people like to comment about that - which I artfully ignore.
ReplyDeleteThat cake looked decadent!!