Listen to the Salutation of the Dawn:
Look to this day, for it is Life.
It is the very life of Life.
And in its brief course will lie
All the verities and realities
Of our existence…
The bliss of growth.
The glory of action.
The splendor of beauty.
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today well-lived makes every
Yesterday a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
From the Sanskrit
Last week my family and I began texting, then calling, planning for the milestone birthday I celebrated on Sunday. I don’t know if people still think of 40 or 50 as “over the hill,” but this birthday sets me firmly, undeniable, over it. While I actually have never felt my age, and have more energy than many younger than me, some milestones are meant to make us take stock and reevaluate.
Additionally, on Sunday the 11th, Doug made the formal announcement of his retirement at the end of the year. So, it had been a philosophical week.
But since my last two have been serious posts, I thought I would winch it back a bit and maybe do a light weight post.
Life apparently had at least a little seriousness in mind.
You see on Saturday, on Facebook, a 60+ year old friend posted, “I continue to worry that I will die young.” Knowing him as tongue in cheek guy, my first reaction was humorous, “Too Late,” since I thought “continue” was inserted as a word clue he was kidding, that he was saying “too late” himself, poking fun at his age. 
Then another friend commented on the post that her 89-year-old father had mentioned at lunch that he had always thought he’d die in his 60s. It made me wonder if he wished in hindsight that he hadn’t spent time worrying. So I wrote a serious reply, “Worry merely undermines your joy in the present and the present is all we have.” Then I added, even more seriously, “Letting go of worry lets you live fully in the present for however long with no regrets.”
I really do believe this…but then I wrote a second humorous reply to this former aide to a Senator, “….perhaps it’s more about this election causing the end of the world…” That was the comment that got a like from him.
But milestone birthdays are there to make us think. So, given that while at my age it is also too late to worry about dying young, more importantly it should be too late to worry…about anything. That would only eat up joy…and time, and I don’t plan to squander either of them.
Age is supposed to bring wisdom. This birthday is a reminder: Unlike when I was a kid and all of life lay ahead, age teaches us time is precious. There are still things I want to do and time with my grandkids to plan. So my mantra is two-fold: Focus on what matters and Live each moment to its full potential for joy.
Of course, me being me, all this set me to thinking and I remembered the poem above and the lyrics to an old song by Sinatra my mother loved:
I’m gonna live till I die!
I’m gonna laugh ‘stead of cry,
I’m gonna take the town and turn it upside down,
I’m gonna live, live, live until I die.
They’re gonna say “What a guy!” (gal 🙂 )
I’m gonna play for the sky.
Ain’t gonna miss a thing,
I’m gonna have my fling,
I’m gonna live, live, live until I die.
Gonna dance, gonna fly,
I’ll take a chance riding high,
Before my number’s up,
I’m gonna fill up my cup,
I’m gonna live, live, live, until I die!
Yep, that’s my plan and I’m sticking to it.
George RR Martin said it this way: “What do we say to Mr. Death? Not Today!”
So, today and every day I’m gonna dance, write, love, laugh, and hug my family and live…live so joyously my heart soars until one day it does fly free.
joanneeddy's blog 
Dance, write and live, live with joy. Happy Birthday young one~!
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Thank you! 😊
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Happy birthday! Age is but a number.
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Thanks, Stevie! 😆
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A very happy milestone birthday to you…
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Thank you! 😊
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You are quite a wise lady, wonderful poet, loving, living woman full of life and hope! Keep it up!!! I loved the sayings from the Sanskrit too! Wonderful!! I live near Raleigh. We need to get together some time!! Or you can come see me?? Hugs! Keep on spreading the joy, love, and peace!!
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Thank you for the lovely compliments, Joy! Where are you near Raleigh? We are there all the time. Our kids and their families are there and we plan to buy a house there after Doug retires in December!
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Awesome!! I live in Cary! It would be nice to meet you!!
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It would be. Our kids are in Apex and Holly Springs so close.
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I lived in Fuquay-Varina for 10 years!! We probably passed each other at one of the Walmarts ! Lol
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Actually looking at house in Fuquay-Varina on Zillow.
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My email is joanne_eddy@rocketmail.com. Send me an email and I’ll let you know when we’ll be there next. (Probably early October)
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Great!! Let me get back home after supper and I’LL get an email off to you.
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Happy Birthday, Jo! Your post is so poignant and timely as I have a milestone birthday coming up soon. It really does make you reflect about life and why we’re here.
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Thanks, Robin. I hope your birthday is as wonderful as mine was. Jo
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Happy birthday, Joan! The best is yet to come! 🙂
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Thanks, Lisa! I know it will be filled with adventures!
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Your joy is infectious. Wishing you the most joy filled Birthday year. Keep sharing it with us.
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Thanks, Bernadette!
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Happy birthday. Remember that God danced the day your were born. So join in the celebration of you being YOU.
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What a lovely thought, thank you!
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A belated Happy Birthday wish for you Jo! I hope you had a wonderful day. You’re absolutely right to be looking ahead to the next stage in your life, and the numerical age is immaterial. What matters is what we do with our lives, and how we use the experience we have gathered from living to keep improving ourselves and what we do for others.
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Thanks, Clive! I actually am pretty content and would never want to go back to some earlier stage. I like to think wisdom is the pay back for aging!
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A good trade off, I think. 🙂
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Belated Happy Birthday, Jo! Love the notes and pictures from your grandchildren, those are so precious ☺️🎈🎉💐
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