Seems like less than a month ago that my birthday came around, and here it is again! I've had two birthdays that really bothered me: my 31st and my 49th. When I was 31 we had had our fourth baby--I loved having babies! and I knew that I was facing a hysterectomy and that was the definite end to having babies. It was hard for me to say "goodbye" to that time of life. But we were very blessed to have four children, two boys and two girls. We have a fine daughter-in-law, a good man for a son-in-law, and seven beautiful, smart grandchildren. The kids (they will always be "the kids") are all grown up now, and even the three oldest grandchildren are grownups.
When I turned 49 I was in a good place in my life--teaching Latin (the language) and Greek and Roman Mythology. That was the best job I ever had. I loved it. But I felt that 49 was just too close to 50. Well, 50 came and there was nothing to do but rejoice that I had another birthday. My older brother and sister had both died at 45 years of age, so every year older was a gift for me.
Fifty was over a quarter century ago! I've been very blessed and am very grateful to have a loving husband, four adult children of whom we can be rightly proud, pretty good health with no issues other than the general slowing down that accompanies increasing age, and some occasionally aching joints. But altogether, I have no complaints.
I have a few very fine close friends, lots of interests--music, quilting, reading, knitting; plenty so that I never have to be bored. We have enough resources that I may buy whatever I desire in the grocery store. That has always been my "yardstick" of the line between being rich or being poor. I've been poor. There was a time in my life when I had just $10 to spend on food in a week. Also time when I had to borrow money from my parents in order to pay my bills--and that was when I was teaching full time, but at a very low salary. It used to be that Christian school teachers sacrificed to be that. I don't know if it is still that way today.
Here's a picture that was taken many, many years ago. I think I was two years old when this was taken.
When I turned 49 I was in a good place in my life--teaching Latin (the language) and Greek and Roman Mythology. That was the best job I ever had. I loved it. But I felt that 49 was just too close to 50. Well, 50 came and there was nothing to do but rejoice that I had another birthday. My older brother and sister had both died at 45 years of age, so every year older was a gift for me.
Fifty was over a quarter century ago! I've been very blessed and am very grateful to have a loving husband, four adult children of whom we can be rightly proud, pretty good health with no issues other than the general slowing down that accompanies increasing age, and some occasionally aching joints. But altogether, I have no complaints.
I have a few very fine close friends, lots of interests--music, quilting, reading, knitting; plenty so that I never have to be bored. We have enough resources that I may buy whatever I desire in the grocery store. That has always been my "yardstick" of the line between being rich or being poor. I've been poor. There was a time in my life when I had just $10 to spend on food in a week. Also time when I had to borrow money from my parents in order to pay my bills--and that was when I was teaching full time, but at a very low salary. It used to be that Christian school teachers sacrificed to be that. I don't know if it is still that way today.
Here's a picture that was taken many, many years ago. I think I was two years old when this was taken.
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