Hello. I turn 60 today. Daunting, right?

But what if we reframe aging? What if we see it as a privilege, a gift, a sign we are one of the lucky ones?

I have had the privilege, the joy, the pain, of living on this blue orb for 60 years!

Who cares about wrinkly skin, skirted swimsuits, arthritic knees, being called m'am? Aren't they all signs we have LIVED, truly lived?

Who says we have to fade away? Can't we instead learn to shine in new ways? To show up in our hard-won wisdom, with scars borne of suffering, our lack of concern for what others think of us a badge of honor?

Who dares tell us we have to live respectable lives? Can't we now live into our wildness and joy? Laugh as loudly as we'd like, dance like madwomen in our kitchens, sing our hearts out in the shower? Express our opinions clearly and confidently? Participate, motivate, agitate?

Who is anyone else to have an opinion of what we choose to give our life to at this stage? Aren't we the ones most familiar with our hearts, our souls, our desires, our own hopes and dreams? Don't we know ourselves best? Don't we get to make the choices we want to make? Aren't we the ones responsible for living the only life we've been given?

I turn 60 today and I am undaunted. I am happier in my skin than I ever have been. I have known and adored my husband for over 40 years. My parents are proud of me and I of them. I revel in my kids' lives. My extended family is a marvel. I am loved by the One who created me out of water and stardust. I am grateful every moment of every day.

And I am ready for whatever comes next.

Bring it on!