Pre and Se ... quels ...

Quote of the day:

60  is about feeling excited to be alive at a time when you're free to really live. 60 is about knowing yourself, being yourself - and truly liking who you've become. But most of all, 60 is about celebrating the beginning of the most beautiful years of your life. Enjoy. (Inscription on a birthday card I received from my friend, Gail recently)

Rolling forward into the sixties. One week left to go. Feeling very well and good about it. I must say that the celebrations have already begun. In my heart, mind and soul. For I am feeling lighter and more joyful with each passing day. Shedding the shame (and the pounds) has always been my greatest challenge. I cannot imagine how many hours of therapy I have invested in this no-small task. But, it is definitely paying off. For I feel as if I am embracing the oncoming of my senior years with humor and acceptance. Mind you, it is not hard to do when a person is surrounded by loving friends and life-partner. 

First, lunch with Gail. 

Secondly, Marion arrived on Thursday to spend the weekend with me before she makes life changes of her own right exactly at the moment she enters her own sixtieth decade. Marion brought me a necklace with matching earrings made of African garnets, which make me look simply stunningly divine!

And then, last night dear friends made a gorgeous dinner party and celebration - as Dan described it - a prequel to next week's birthday. The evening flowed with good food, friendship, joyful humor, interesting conversation, and gifts from Ilene and Jeff, which included New York Times inaugural mugs, and an inspirational plaque which says: "if you tell the TRUTH, you don't have to remember anything."

As we all gathered around the festive dinner table and began to tuck in to Nancy's exquisitely prepared meal, Jeff asked me what, if anything, I had learned while bidding farewell to my fifties and contemplating the sixtieth decade. I replied quickly, from the gut:

No more time for regrets, live right now in the moment, and fill our lives with joy as much as possible.

James asked, "Would that be true for undergraduates as well?"

"Yes - definitely - of course!" was my immediate response.

Dinner was topped off with individual servings of little delicate strawberry-raspberry shortcakes, each adorned with a single birthday candle so that everyone could participate in making a wish of our dreams.

The sequel begins this week. JJ arrives Wednesday, we meet Gilad at the airport Thursday, and then off we all fly to Paris for the weekend, where Jan will join us from Italy for the birthday. After that, Tom and Gilad return to the States, and JJ and I will continue on to Israel for five days to see the family and do a wee bit of touristing, through the kindness of old friends. Home by the end of May, by which time I will have turned into a sixty-year-old woman, finally and officially. 

Am still not quite sure about whether to schlep the computer along with me or not, so I cannot promise pre or se quel blogging. It all might have to be post-quel, and it just might be easier and quicker to post updates to Facebook friends, many of whom are blogger buddies anyway. 

But we will see ... 

... and, part of the excitement is in the unknowing, don't you think?

Comments

[Jean]

Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Tamar. It is so nice having friends a few years older than me - it means that I never dread birthdays, but always have something wonderful to aspire to next. You are definitely among the group who make this the case :-)

[ainelivia]

Happy Birthday for Sunday Tamar, and welcome to the sweet, swinging sixties.

[Kay Dennison]

Happy six decades, Tamar!!!! Ceebrate well and have many more!!!!!!!

[tamarika]

Dear Josh,
Thanks so much. We'll be in touch when I get back! Smiles and warm regards!

[Josh Thompson]

Happy - joyous - ecstatic - expectant day! Many happy returns. Out of all the wonderful days of the year, this is the one, the day of celebration for you.