I thought about my Dad as I was passing by the slot machines at the grocery store tonight.  I know he never minded stopping at the store with my Mom when they were in Vegas because of this one “special feature” we had.  That man couldn’t walk by a slot machine without trying his luck.  So I took a twenty dollar bill out of my pocket and decided to try my luck, thinking maybe Heaven could spare him for a few minutes and he was sitting beside me.   I played for awhile, had my ups and downs and in the end I walked out of the Grocery Store twenty dollars lighter.   What can I say except,  “I am my fathers daughteR!” He would have been 80 years old this Tuesday – R.I.P Dad…

It seems so crazy  how fast life seems to fly by as you get older.  I saw a headline in the local paper this week that said, “City of Las Vegas caters to residents 50 years and older!” My first thought was Jesus H. Christ, that’s me!  How the hell did that happen? How is a young girl like me even in this category.  There must be a mistake!  Someone stole my identity!  Didn’t I just get my braces off, start my period and get my first pair of Levi’s.   I put on my glasses this morning and they had become bifocals.  There are all kinds of prescription bottles on the bathroom counters, Hemorrhoid cream in the medicine cabinet and Activia yogurt in the fridge.  What the hell is a probiotic anyway? What is going on around here? 

Oh I jest, honestly,  I don’t mind getting older, well at least at fifty-one this is how I feel.  I don’t really envy  young people because I look at them and think,  “if I had to work another 50 – 60 years I’d kill myself!” I like the skin I’ve grown into, it might be a little flabby, maybe in need of a shave, a few grey hairs are creeping in, I might pee my pants if I laugh too hard, but, it’s all good.  It’s comfortable, it’s me and it’s my “home sweet home”.

What are some things you’ve learned along your journey? Come on, it’s fun to share. Don’t they say “wisdom comes with age”?