Tomorrow is a big day—my 58th birthday. That’s enough candles to start a bonfire! Tomorrow, I will have lived 696 months and 21,184 days. Who said life begins at 50?? But if there is a silver lining (and there is plenty of silver lining my head), it is that I don’t have a 16 year old like my poor mother did at 58!
Now, I am certain that I was a complete and utter joy, and if my mother were here today, she would tell you so. But, admittedly, at 58, most people are finished with the long nights of worry, staying up until the teenager comes home late and have also begun the financial recovery from sending a kid to college. Not my parents. Nope, but they should have thought about that in the spring of 1951 when my dad was coming off coaching a winning football season and in the midst of a strong track meet standing. Too much celebrating always has its drawbacks. So here I am 58 years later.
I did some research to see what famous people share my birthday, but it appears Dec. 3, is a slow day for celebrity celebrations although there is a host of well-known Sagittarians like Mark Twain, Beethoven, Scott Joplin, Joe DiMaggio, Bette Midler, Frank Sinatra, Charles Schulz and Winston Churchill, to name a few. And although I’m not very into astrology or zodiac signs, I do occasionally agree with the predictions and descriptions.
For example, I am easy-going, unless someone ticks me off! I am direct in my comments, thrive on challenges, definitely fun-loving, driven, a risk taker, gregarious and extroverted. Did I mention the descriptions indicate Sagittarians have big egos?? Like other December people, I have difficulty showing affection, and am learning to be a hugger in my old age. My symbol is the centaur, shooting an arrow in the sky. Since one of my favorite sayings is, “hitch your wagon to a star,” that makes perfect sense.
So, tomorrow I celebrate life and the hopes for another great year. After all, 57 brought me my first published book. I have my fingers crossed that 58 will be even better.