60 is the New 40

I remember when 60 seemed really old.  Not just old, I mean REALLY old!  Teachers who were in their 60s were near retirement and, in my mind, were just a few steps away from eternity.

For that matter, teachers in their 30s seemed really old.  When you're 10, I guess everyone seems a lot older than you are.  It's funny how your unique perspective colors your world.

Back then, I didn't know any parents who were 60, but my grandparents were in their 60s and they seemed quite old to the 10-year-old me who visited them during summer vacations.

As I have gotten older, 60 has seemed younger and younger.  I remember when my parents turned 60 and it didn't seem quite so old.  It was still a shock the first time I went home to visit and found a gray-haired Dad.

By then, I was a parent and lots of things seemed different than when I was 10.  My mom's mother had passed away and my remaining grandparents were in their 80s, the ages my parents are now.

Back in the day, there was a saying, "Never trust anyone over 30."  Well, guess what?  60 is double 30 so does that mean you can only trust someone who's 60 half as much as someone who's 30 or twice as much?

When my oldest sibling turned 60, it seemed just around the corner.  Now, three of my siblings are over 60 and another will be 60 in just a couple of years.  I'm number five, so you know what that means.

This week, my husband turned 60.  It's funny how people 'turn' 60.  Unlike some other milestone birthdays, people don't go out to celebrate turning 60 by a night of drinking like some people when they turn 21.

Unlike 30, 40 or 50, your 60th birthday isn't always celebrated with a big party with friends. Like many people who are 60, my husband is a grandpa.

Today, people who are 60 years old ride bikes, kayak down the James River, hike to the top of Sharp Top Mountain, go white water rafting, run marathons and participate in triathlons.

Unlike my 60-year-old grandparents, many of us who turn 60 aren't thinking about retirement.  People live a lot longer than they did 40 plus years ago and many work longer.

My guess is that 60 will seem younger and younger to me in the next few years as that magical age creeps my way.  Happy 60th birthday to my better half, with me through thick and thin, for better or for worse.

Our life together has been an interesting adventure and I'm sure the adventures will continue now that one of us has turned 60.  Stay tuned to enjoy the fun.

Until then, I'll take what I can get when I can get it and do the best I can to face each day with a smile on my face, a prayer on my lips and a song in my heart.  Blogging Grandma Sandy signing off for now.