Today I reached a milestone in life. I turned "70". It wasn't a day of sadness, but a day of rejoicing.
Christmas Eve is a special time. I have always felt blessed to be born on this day. It has been a Wonderful Life. Each person, family or friend, has left their mark on me and I thank you.
We all have a purpose in life. God made us for a reason. There are days I know why and then days I wonder. Have I ever felt like George Bailey from "It's A Wonderful Life"? Yes, I have. But deep down, I know God has a special plan for me. My daily prayer is God will direct my path and guide me where I need to be.
I have been celebrating this 70th milestone since the first of September. Within the past two years most of my friends or family members have reached the age of 70. Most of them observed their birthday like any other birthday or some friends/family hibernated and hid underneath the blankets.
For me, this was a platinum milestone birthday and I wanted the age to mean something. Platinum is a valuable metal and very precious and expensive. That is how I wanted to remember my 70th birthday.
In July, Taylor Swift gave me the idea with her "Era Tour". If she could have an "Era Tour", then I wanted a "Celebration of Life-Decade Tour".
Since the age of thirty, I have celebrated my decade milestones. My 30th was celebrated in Austin, Texas with about thirty family and friends.
On my 40th, I had moved several times and was currently living in East Texas. I had so many friends still living in the Austin area, I decided Austin was the place to be. With about fifty friends, my good friend, Jackie, opened up her home for everyone to come together.
When the fiftieth came around, I was living in Houston, Texas and I celebrated with about a hundred guest. Family and friends traveled from all over to Texas to commemorate the fiftieth decade. I ask for no gifts, but to donate to a particular organization. Each guest brought an unwrapped toy for a child, age 5 to 14. My car was loaded with dolls, board games, books and so much more. Children in the downtown area of Houston would be enjoying Christmas Day.
Sixtieth, I was living in New York City. Kenny and I enjoyed the evening drinking martinis and eating appetizers at the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar staring at the Empire Building. We were snuggled in blankets watching the Empire Building put on a Music-to-Light Spectacular Show. A night I will never forget.
I have embraced each new decade. For the 70th decade, I wanted to do something different.
My kick-off was in Savannah. My good friend, Katie, treated me like royalty. An evening at the Doobie Brother concerts and mimosas on a rooftop and so much more.
From there, Kenny and I celebrated at Grand Lake Lodge in Colorado with friends, Ron & Peggy. It was beautiful. The leaves were changing colors from green to gold. A moose appeared outside the window of the restaurant. Everyone was in awe of the beauty of this powerful creature. This beast reminded me 70 would be a year of power, courage, authority and self-confidence.
Three weeks later, I traveled to Nashville with Kenny and Joe/Kim to enjoy the Grand Ole Opry and Carrie Underwood.
A few days later, I flew to New York with Jackie to celebrate nightly with friends. Friends, I had worked with at Elizabeth Arden Cosmetics. It was great to be back in the City with the hustle and bustle. Seeing the musical, A Beautiful Noise, reminded me how one never really knows who you are and what you have become until you stop and replay your past. The play was worth seeing. It is the story of Neal Diamond rising from Brooklyn to become a star.
And then the Decade Tour really kicked-off. I flew to San Antonio and Austin to party with family and friends.
In Austin, good friends, Ruthie, Rita, Kathy and I reminisced about our past forty years. Years of being single and then getting married. Austin played a big part of my years of maturing and learning who I was.
I traveled Interstate-35 to Dallas for one of the major parties. Forty-two friends/family showed up at my sister's home. It was wonderful seeing people I hadn't seen in ten years or more. Almost one thousand dollars were donated to All-Star Equestrian. This non-profit organization works with special needs children to help them improve physical, cognitive and emotional fitness through therapeutic horseback riding. My sweet nephew has participated in this organization since the age of four and he is now, twenty-six.
Back to Waco to enjoy Thanksgiving with mom and others. Evenings were spent with long-time friends from high school. It was wonderful to have lunch with my first friend, Marcia. I met her at the age of five and here we are sixty-five years later.
I flew from Dallas to Loveland, Colorado to celebrate with forty-four friends. Kenny's cousin, Becky and her husband traveled from Austin to visit with their son who lived in the area and to celebrate my new decade. At this party, can goods and hygiene items were collected for a charity, Serve 6.8. Over two hundred and twenty-two pounds of items were distributed to families.
Six days later back on the plane to Texas to have two more parties in the Houston area. A High-Tea Party hosted by my dear friend, Cheri. It was wonderful seeing neighbors from the subdivision I hadn't seen in twelve years.
My good friend, Jackie, once again opened up her home in Houston for the Grand Finale Party. Forty-six family and friends were in attendance for the Finale. The next day, Jackie and I dropped off a van filled with canned goods and hygiene items to the local Mission.
Thank you Lord for my life and the opportunity to celebrate with others while I am still alive. May I continue to be a light of encouragement to others!
Proverbs 18:24 - "A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
I am blessed. Enjoy each day and celebrate! As we all know, life is too short.
