Mid life at the Oasis

So, I am gearing up to turn 48 in a couple of weeks. Forty Eight. Yes...FORTY EIGHT!
Somehow I just thought I'd be smarter or taller or OLDER or something!
But for some reason, I am feeling like this is a TRUE milestone birthday.
No, it’s not 40 and it’s not 50…but I don’t think it’s the actual age that is impressing me. I have never been afraid of getting older (if I didn’t know, I would say I’m maybe 30…that’s how old I feel.) And I have never resisted TELLING anyone my age--I would never lie about it for sure. Maybe part of it is that my kids are 26 and 28…and I always kinda felt like the three of us grew up together.
I actually think it's more the fact that three of my four grandparents lived well into their 80s and 90s. My Grandpa lived to be 93 and my Nana missed her 95th birthday by just a couple of weeks (she has a sister who is still going strong at 106!) My grandparents lived independently in their own home until after 90--they still made their own pasta, they drove, went out to dinner, shopped. (I often ran into them at Costco...eating their lunch via free samples.)
I'm thinking this means I have a good chance of living to be 95 or 96 or so, right?
This thought FUELS my dreams of skiing in Mammoth, driving my Porsche, traveling Italy and taking in LOTS of baseball games well into MY 90s! (Hopefully with a beautiful man!)
Which, to get back to the point, does essentially make 48 a milestone.
It's my halfway mark. My true mid life.
There is certainly no crisis to be had HERE, my friend! No way.
It’s like the score has been tied up and I have a whole new ballgame to play. And this time around, there’s a lot less to plan, worry about and decide.
Think about how much you have to figure out in that first half of life: Where should I go to college? What job should I have? Who should I marry? Should we have kids? How many? Can we afford a house? Where should we live? Do we go to your parents’ or mine for Christmas? Does our son need braces? Does our daughter drive a safe car? Who is that boy she is dating? Do you think our kids are drinking? Where should they go to college? How will we pay for it?YIKES!
Now, compare that to ‘second half of life decisions’...hmmm….um...yeah…finished college. Let’s see, yep, kids are raised and college-educated. Love my job….hmm…
Yeah. I’m thinking 'second-half of life' decisions come down to just a few things:
Where should we have dinner tonight? Should I get the red Porsche or the blue one? And, Should we go to Paris or Venice for Christmas this year?
Gosh, I am actually really looking forward to figuring those things out! And, at this point, I have free time, enough money and more energy than I have ever had before. Which is probably why I am actually quite excited about getting started in this second half of life!
Of course, I'm realistic, and I do know there will probably be more choices involved than just those.
I mean, I might even consider black for the Porsche.