50 is the new 40

Is 50 the new 40?

I understand that people’s views on aging are subjective, but I think it’s a wonderful thing. Do things fall, slow down, or broaden? Absolutely. But that’s not the only thing that should be associated with aging. When I hit 50 I reached my peak. I was mature enough to appreciate my past yet still useful enough to appreciate how much time I still have left. I am still energetic enough to do most sports and activities yet I realize that being chill is also cool. Last summer we went on a family trip to Aquakef. Aquakef is a large inflatable obstacle course on lake Kinneret that is really meant for younger kids. I spent 1.5 hours climbing, swimming, jumping and sliding. It was so much fun that I lost track of time. Time that caught up with me the next day. I was in so much pain that I said I’d never do it again………. until this summer of course.

My point is that aging is what you make of it. You can look at it like an hourglass where each grain of sand that falls is lost forever. A grain of life that is ebbing closer and closer to your death. Or, you can look at it as every grain of sand is an experience. An experience that is falling into a big memory jar. The more you do, the more memories that are being made. You can shake up that memory jar from time to time and recall something special and beautiful and put a smile on your face. The simple act of shaking up that jar can bring a vitality back in your step. It gives you one more day, one more hour or one more moment to live and appreciate what you have.

As I have aged, my fears have decreased. I don’t fear death, I fear not living enough. I fear getting caught up in the throws of life that bog us down. We are living in an unprecedented time. A time of so much uncertainty. However, I chose to live my life like an Israeli. Israelis are strong and resilient. They know that tomorrow might never come so why not live today like it’s the best day of our life? There is a youthfulness in the step of many Israelis, and it is refreshing.

I have lived a lot in my short 51 years. I have experienced more pain than many westerners, yet I chose to not let it get me down. I chose to view each experience as a challenge that was overcome. My own personal Everest 100X over. I chose to have vitality. I chose to spread joy and happiness. I chose to pay it forward in the hopes that one day someone else will have just a bit more joy in their step too.
Aging is a badge of honor and not a demerit. What are you going to do with the grains of sand you have in your hourglass?