Yup, to quote Robin from her 12:15 a.m. email....It's official, it's my birthday. Of course I was sound asleep when her email came in but read it this morning. Interesting how I've handled those milestones ~ some okay and some not as time is slipping by.
December 1981 you'd have thought that birthday would put me in a deep depression because I was 7 months a widow, just moved back to the east coast from California without a job, my world had been turned upside down and just turned the big 40. Think it was the love of family and my wonderful step-father Pat who kept me grounded.
Here it was November/December and he went to the beach area and somehow found a T-shirt store to make a "39 and Holding" long sleeve T-shirt for me. Even my mother told me it was his idea. He was such a beautiful person and I miss both of them.
The next milestone birthday was when I turned 50 and this photo was taken at work. My real estate lawyer boss set this up for me while he and the CEO were out of town doing due diligence for an acquisition.
Who the heck could be depressed with this kind of celebration, I ran my first 10K that year, got married (turned out to be an unwise decision) but not depressed at all for being more than halfway thru my life on earth.
Even 2001 when I turned 60 my age didn't bother me but the year I turned 70 I could feel a panic attack beginning and knew the symptoms all too well. Between ages 60 and 70 discovered my husband cheating AGAIN which put me in the hospital with a panic attack and stroke high blood pressure. And life at home was strained to say the least but I survived the divorce and kept myself busy with my dogs, craft shows and rug hooking.
Below is the rug I was working on mid-divorce. I only hooked the initials of my first name because as part of the divorce I asked for my previous last name back ~ that of my deceased first husband and father of my son.
But 2011 when turning 70 the realization that many of my classmates had passed away, had no companion and what was there to look forward to I felt the twinge of a panic attack coming and talked myself down. Thanks to GOD's help for getting me thru that and I've not had another panic attack since.
With this 80th birthday milestone can honestly say I'm happily celebrating and thankful for just being here. I've a good outlook on life, enjoying surrounding myself with the rugs I hook, my family, friends (particularly the on-line friends). Still enjoy rug hooking and don't really need any more wool (tho I'm sure I'll buy more) what I really need is more time.
Thank you to everyone who has wished me a happy birthday and thanks for your friendship. Happy hooking.
Saundra
