Turning 55 has sort of been a big deal. And while you did not really feel that stressed when you turned 50, this entry into your 55th year has hit you a little harder than you expected. You are still going to work as normal, still completing your four mile run most mornings, but you find yourself wanting a little more excitement, a little more adventure. As a result, you have decided to make a list of things that you want to accomplish in the next 12 months. From doing a tandem jump with your husband to taking your entire family to Greece, some of the items on your list are expensive. Others on the list, like rereading To Kill a Mockingbird and getting more pictures of yourself with your daughters are not expensive at all.
The decision to add the tandem jump out of airplane to the list was an easy one because you have enjoyed solo jumps at the local skydiving center. Creating the list of 55 Things to Do for Your Birthday took some time, but you are determined not to come home from work and simply collapse on the couch. From big items on the list to small items, you are promising yourself that you are going to make this a year to remember.
- 1. Start each day with a thankful heart. Instead of letting worry about the day’s challenges be the first thing that you think of, you are determined to be more grateful.
- 2. Reread your favorite book from high school literature class To Kill a Mockingbird.
- 3. Visit your 86 year old father more frequently.
- 4. through 10. Go an entire week without eating fast food. It is not that you enjoy burgers and french fries that often, but you often let these tasty snacks serve as a meal for the entire family. You are going to make sure that for one entire week during the time you are 55 that fast food is off the limits.
- 11. Go on a tandem jump with your husband!
- 12. through 24. With at least once a month as a goal, you are going to be sure that you quit hiding behind the camera and get photos of you and your daughters.
- 25. Plant nothing but orange flowers in the front of the house. For years, you have always let your daughters help pick the flowers they like. One loves purple, the other pink, so you have never had the flower garden looking the way that you want.
- 26. through 36. Go through each of the closets in your house. Oddly enough, you love to sort and clean. This year you are giving yourself permission to work your way through the house purging the things that are making you feel trapped and crowded.
- 37. Invite the neighbors over for a Saturday morning coffee.
- 38. Take one online mathematics class. You have loved helping your daughters finish their educational goals, but for once you want to learn something for yourself.
- 39. Travel back to your hometown and revisit the schools that you attended.
- 40. Make a scrapbook of your own adventures. Instead of always creating scrapbooks for your kids, take time this year to highlight what you have been doing, from the tandem jump to the photos with your girls.
- 41. through 50. Allow yourself to sleep in 10 different times this year.
- 51. Go to a drive in movie.
- 52. Sing a solo in the church choir.
- 53. Write 1000 words a month.
- 54. Compose a handwritten letter to your best friend.
- 55. Travel with your husband and two daughter to Greece to celebrate your 30th anniversary, as well as the fact that your younger daughter will graduate high school and that your older daughter will graduate college.
Time never stands still and you cannot stop the birthdays from coming, but you can make sure that you make the most of the time you are given on this earth!
