Well, today is my birthday and, for once, I'm not totally bummed out.
This is kind of a big deal for me since this birthday is the one that ends a decade and that is usually the birthday that bums me out the most. It's not turning the big whatever-O (I still can't type the number) but it is the lead up to that big number that freaks me out. It's like my mind and body need a year of preparation before they can accept that I am, inevitably, getting older. But I've noticed that with each successive birthday in the last 20 years I'm getting better at dealing with this aging thing. So, for all of us hitting whatever big birthdays or just for those of us who struggle with the thought of getting older lets put some perspective on things. I offer you some of my favourite inspirational quotes on getting older from people much wiser than me. If they said it, I must believe it, yes?
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. ~Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. ~Samuel Ullman
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ~Chili Davis
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. ~Mark Twain
(Note from Nelsa: I've never actually seen my neck smile so this one's kinda bogus. Sorry, Mark.)
Old age isn't so bad when you consider the alternative. ~Maurice Chevalier, New York Times, 9 October 1960
Everyone is the age of their heart. ~Guatemalan Proverb
The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible. ~Judith Regan
Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes
Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. ~Quoted by Francis Bacon, Apothegm
And with that last quote, I thank all my old (and new) friends for the birthday wishes today and their vital, constant friendship. I reach for a glass of good red wine and a favourite book and sit by an imaginary fireplace toasting my feet and this day. For birthdays are, indeed, to be celebrated not feared. Thank you all for celebrating with me!
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthdays. Show all posts
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Milestone Birthdays
No, I'm not having one right now (thank God) but I just came back from celebrating my mom's 75th birthday and it's gotten me to thinking about not just any birthdays but the 'milestone' birthdays. You know - the ones where the entering of a new year or hitting the actual number means a pretty big deal in your life?
Mom's 75th wasn't big just because the number is. It was a big deal this year because she reached it. Last year, her battle with cancer really made her feel and think about mortality and how every day is truly precious. She (and we!) are so thankful to have her here to celebrate her life. This birthday, for her, is a pretty big milestone because it meant she made it through to the other side. Somewhat changed, weaker in some ways, stronger in others. I think that's what milestone birthdays are all about - knowing or believing that you are about to or have made significant change in your life. Maybe the change is not all good but after that birthday, upon reflection, you know you are a different person.
My milestone birthday was my 40th. I began thinking about it several months before I hit it (I'm always thinking about the approaching date well ahead that it's become a running joke with my husband who says I was born 60 years old already). But that one was a biggie and because I'd made it so significant it must have changed my brain chemistry or something. Why else would I, out of the blue, want to start writing a book? Which is what I started doing the summer before I turned 40. I also lost weight and just had a real "Is this all I want to do and be in my life" kind of moment. Call it a mid-life crisis, call it needing a change, call it what you will but if that big birthday hadn't been looming I wonder if I would have picked up that pen that changed my life in so many ways.
Next year I'll be approaching the big 5-0. In fact, I turn 50 the day after the Mayans say the world will end. Of course it will! I'm turning 50, dammit!! I have a feeling this will be another big milestone for me. I don't know what will change or how but I know that whatever happens I embrace it because now I know 'milestones' are not 'millstones' around your neck. Instead of dragging you down they can lift you up.
What about you all? What have been your milestone birthdays and why?
Mom's 75th wasn't big just because the number is. It was a big deal this year because she reached it. Last year, her battle with cancer really made her feel and think about mortality and how every day is truly precious. She (and we!) are so thankful to have her here to celebrate her life. This birthday, for her, is a pretty big milestone because it meant she made it through to the other side. Somewhat changed, weaker in some ways, stronger in others. I think that's what milestone birthdays are all about - knowing or believing that you are about to or have made significant change in your life. Maybe the change is not all good but after that birthday, upon reflection, you know you are a different person.
My milestone birthday was my 40th. I began thinking about it several months before I hit it (I'm always thinking about the approaching date well ahead that it's become a running joke with my husband who says I was born 60 years old already). But that one was a biggie and because I'd made it so significant it must have changed my brain chemistry or something. Why else would I, out of the blue, want to start writing a book? Which is what I started doing the summer before I turned 40. I also lost weight and just had a real "Is this all I want to do and be in my life" kind of moment. Call it a mid-life crisis, call it needing a change, call it what you will but if that big birthday hadn't been looming I wonder if I would have picked up that pen that changed my life in so many ways.
Next year I'll be approaching the big 5-0. In fact, I turn 50 the day after the Mayans say the world will end. Of course it will! I'm turning 50, dammit!! I have a feeling this will be another big milestone for me. I don't know what will change or how but I know that whatever happens I embrace it because now I know 'milestones' are not 'millstones' around your neck. Instead of dragging you down they can lift you up.
What about you all? What have been your milestone birthdays and why?
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
And Another Birthday Approaches
Tomorrow is my birthday and for the first time in a long while I'm not dreading seeing the years add up. Granted I always deal better with 'even' birthday years than 'odd' ones but I don't think that's the reason for my unusual celebratory mood this go round. This year I got some very nice news just before my birthday hit(hope to share more soon) plus my mom is continuing her recovery and now Daughter One has returned home from university and I'm just feeling a bit more celebratory all around. But I think it's also just becoming more used to the whole 'aging' thing and appreciating that the alternative isn't a heck of a lot better!
Now, don't get me wrong. Nobody wants to see their face sliding into their neck or anything and I use a boatload of creams and moisturizers like the next girl. It's not the physical side of aging that I've come to terms with (in fact I've done something to the muscles in my neck that are just killing me today and I'm popping Robaxacet like it's candy) but it's more about enjoying and appreciating the mental aging. I just feel very comfortable with where my head's at these days. And I attribute that to discovering my passion for writing over eight years ago.
Writing has been my own personal fountain of youth - and not just because I write for teens (though I think that helps). It has allowed me to experience so many different things, meet so many different people, hope for so many different futures. Even with all the waiting, even with all the agony of writing books that sometimes go nowhere, even with the fickleness of the business, discovering writing relatively later in my life has given me new energy and, a lot of times, just more 'fun'.
So, with another birthday approaching, I'm embracing the coming year and looking forward to what new things I'll learn and what new people I'll meet. I know there'll be crappy days but with age, hopefully, comes some wisdom and I think I'm weathering those crappy days with a little more perspective every year. Each birthday is a gift and I plan on celebrating every one of them now instead of dreading them. Now if only my face would stay where I want it to... :)
Now, don't get me wrong. Nobody wants to see their face sliding into their neck or anything and I use a boatload of creams and moisturizers like the next girl. It's not the physical side of aging that I've come to terms with (in fact I've done something to the muscles in my neck that are just killing me today and I'm popping Robaxacet like it's candy) but it's more about enjoying and appreciating the mental aging. I just feel very comfortable with where my head's at these days. And I attribute that to discovering my passion for writing over eight years ago.
Writing has been my own personal fountain of youth - and not just because I write for teens (though I think that helps). It has allowed me to experience so many different things, meet so many different people, hope for so many different futures. Even with all the waiting, even with all the agony of writing books that sometimes go nowhere, even with the fickleness of the business, discovering writing relatively later in my life has given me new energy and, a lot of times, just more 'fun'.
So, with another birthday approaching, I'm embracing the coming year and looking forward to what new things I'll learn and what new people I'll meet. I know there'll be crappy days but with age, hopefully, comes some wisdom and I think I'm weathering those crappy days with a little more perspective every year. Each birthday is a gift and I plan on celebrating every one of them now instead of dreading them. Now if only my face would stay where I want it to... :)
Monday, September 27, 2010
And the Good News Keeps Coming!
The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1976 dedicated to encouraging, promoting and supporting the reading, writing and illustrating of Canadian books for young readers through services, publications and programs. The CCBC is a vital resource for teachers, librarians, students, authors, illustrators, publishers, booksellers and parents. It is also now one of my favouritest organizations (I know favouritest isn't a word but cut me some slack in my excitement here) because it named ILLEGALLY BLONDE as a Recommended read in the Summer edition of its quarterly magazine!
I have been living in a world of packing boxes, family health issues and other related personal chaos for the last four months so when I picked up the magazine on Friday and flipped through the pages and saw a picture of my book in the section on Recommended Books I just about passed out. This was just after I'd read the lovely review in CM magazine. I cannot tell you how grateful I feel to read that the editor of the CCBC News thinks
"It's refreshing to see a Portuguese-Canadian protagonist in YA fiction and Lucy do Amaral is an appealing newcomer …"
and that
"Author Nelsa Roberto has taken a true story from the news headlines (about Portuguese-Canadians deported when their citizenship was called into question) and skillfully crafted an enjoyable and well-written tale. Lucy do Amaral is a welcome addition to the YA scene."
I am verklempt. It's also the best medicine for a very sore and aching back!
And that's not all, people!
On Saturday I saw a very nice advertisement in the Toronto Globe and Mail Book section from Great Plains Teen Fiction promoting their Spring books and ILLEGALLY BLONDE is right there alongside the two other teen books published this spring: Craig Russell's BLACK BOTTLE MAN and Susan Roccan's SPIRIT QUEST. Yay for a supportive publisher!
And best of all, it was a beautiful sunny, fall day yesterday for my son's belated birthday party and he also played an amazingly great game of hockey on Sunday.
Sometimes life is just plain good.
I have been living in a world of packing boxes, family health issues and other related personal chaos for the last four months so when I picked up the magazine on Friday and flipped through the pages and saw a picture of my book in the section on Recommended Books I just about passed out. This was just after I'd read the lovely review in CM magazine. I cannot tell you how grateful I feel to read that the editor of the CCBC News thinks
"It's refreshing to see a Portuguese-Canadian protagonist in YA fiction and Lucy do Amaral is an appealing newcomer …"
and that
"Author Nelsa Roberto has taken a true story from the news headlines (about Portuguese-Canadians deported when their citizenship was called into question) and skillfully crafted an enjoyable and well-written tale. Lucy do Amaral is a welcome addition to the YA scene."
I am verklempt. It's also the best medicine for a very sore and aching back!
And that's not all, people!
On Saturday I saw a very nice advertisement in the Toronto Globe and Mail Book section from Great Plains Teen Fiction promoting their Spring books and ILLEGALLY BLONDE is right there alongside the two other teen books published this spring: Craig Russell's BLACK BOTTLE MAN and Susan Roccan's SPIRIT QUEST. Yay for a supportive publisher!
And best of all, it was a beautiful sunny, fall day yesterday for my son's belated birthday party and he also played an amazingly great game of hockey on Sunday.
Sometimes life is just plain good.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Birthdays
It's that time of year again. Yep. The birthdays keep piling on. Thank goodness! So even though it's kind of irritating to see the numbers grow what I have finally come to terms with is having a birthday around the Christmas season.
As a kid it was a bit of a bummer to have a birthday so close to the holidays. Friends were out of school and busy with their own family events or out of town so there were never too many opportunities to do a birthday party. There were a few 'combined birthday/Christmas presents' that always left me feeling a bit ripped off. Whatever. Time passes and now, I rather enjoy having a birthday so close to the biggest holiday of the season. Seriously, I'm too darn busy to notice half the time that I'm getting older because I'm running around doing last minute holiday shopping myself. I tell you the best way to deal with getting older is to forget about it! But you know what the very best part of having a birthday this close to Christmas is? I force my kids to go get a picture with Santa even though they are way too old and because it's my birthday they can't say no!! *insert maniacal mommy laughter here*
But what I really look forward to every year is my birthday horoscope - since my birthday is so close to the end of the year it's like a peak into the New Year and what's in store. So here's some of my 2010 projections:
It's all about you, dear Capricorn. Once again, the Sun is back in your sign recharging your batteries for the rest of the year. Furthermore, it will attract opportunities and people to you. Enjoy these good times. Retrograde Mercury will also attract ex-partners and old friends.
If you want to start something new or if you want to change your life in some way now is the time to stop thinking about it and to start taking the decisions and actions that will make it happen. Anything is possible if you believe it is possible.
Ah, I love the possibilities of a new year. Happy birthday all you Christmas babies!!
As a kid it was a bit of a bummer to have a birthday so close to the holidays. Friends were out of school and busy with their own family events or out of town so there were never too many opportunities to do a birthday party. There were a few 'combined birthday/Christmas presents' that always left me feeling a bit ripped off. Whatever. Time passes and now, I rather enjoy having a birthday so close to the biggest holiday of the season. Seriously, I'm too darn busy to notice half the time that I'm getting older because I'm running around doing last minute holiday shopping myself. I tell you the best way to deal with getting older is to forget about it! But you know what the very best part of having a birthday this close to Christmas is? I force my kids to go get a picture with Santa even though they are way too old and because it's my birthday they can't say no!! *insert maniacal mommy laughter here*
But what I really look forward to every year is my birthday horoscope - since my birthday is so close to the end of the year it's like a peak into the New Year and what's in store. So here's some of my 2010 projections:
It's all about you, dear Capricorn. Once again, the Sun is back in your sign recharging your batteries for the rest of the year. Furthermore, it will attract opportunities and people to you. Enjoy these good times. Retrograde Mercury will also attract ex-partners and old friends.
If you want to start something new or if you want to change your life in some way now is the time to stop thinking about it and to start taking the decisions and actions that will make it happen. Anything is possible if you believe it is possible.
Ah, I love the possibilities of a new year. Happy birthday all you Christmas babies!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)