Milestones

An interesting exercise is to write yourself a birthday greeting. Today I stumbled on the one I wrote myself on my 50th birthday. Here's an excerpt:
Happy Birthday girlfriend! You are happy at 50 and happy to be happy at 50. You suspect there's a lot more ahead, and you're right. You can't imagine how many people are yet to enter your life, grandchildren and great grandchildren. You can't imagine the pain you will feel as people you love leave your life, can't imagine allowing yourself to go so deep down that well of pain that you will finally have to push yourself hard to resurface and gasp for air. That's the price you pay for living so long. Perhaps though, you'll be rewarded for being awkward in youth with a graceful old age.
Of course, I wasn't happy at 50. At 50 I realized that my life was half over (I'm an optimist) and that anything I wanted to change about my situation, I'd better start changing. Fifty is a good time to revisit the mortgage and renegotiate the contracts on relationships.
I've discovered other milestones related to age. At 20, anything you don't like about yourself you'd better work on changing because when you reach 40 those character traits are pretty set. At 60, it's time to take stock of all the things you said you would do when you had the time, the money, the freedom...the time is now, the money is what it is and you have all the freedom you grant yourself to do now what you've left for later.
Are there dreams you need to let go of with a clear conscience? There's power in making that decision yourself before life makes it for you.
Can you now be the child you never were? No do overs in life, but we sometimes can move ahead with a passion we've long held and reimagine it.
Even if it's not your birthday, write yourself a greeting.