Dealing With Turning Sixty

In the great movie, "Gone With the Wind", the character Scarlett O'Hara repeatedly says during the story...Oh, fiddle-le-dee, I'll think about it tomorrow. Recent years have found me using the same phrase quite often. Well I've found that as I face my sixtieth birthday in a few short months and my tomorrows are dwindling away there are many things that I must think about today and decisions to be made. I find that turning 60 seems to be a great big mile stone for me. The saying is these days that 60 is the new 40 but I'm not so sure. Maybe for those folks who have retirement pensions, home and property and are financially secure they can feel 40 again. This, alas, is not my situation. Having worked since being teenager it never seemed to be my lot in life to have my barns full as senior years are entered. Rather I find myself working at a job that is one of the hardest physically, mentally and emotionally that I've ever attempted. Taking care of my disabled daughter and trying to be a care taker, mentor, instructor, teacher and working grandma in somewhere has me tired and frazzled. So sixty is not so glamorous to me. I must wait two more years before I have the "security" of social security which isn't so secure in our economy. As my body wears down from the job I've worked so hard at for almost five years my brain is working over time trying to figure out another route. Can you believe I've even thought of enrolling in an online university to earn a degree? But, the big 60 looms again and I realize that I will be at least 62 before graduation and who will want to hire me then? I dare say there would be many younger folks graduating and applying for positions that have employers considering things like health of new hires along with speed and energy! So here I am thinking, pondering, dreaming, wishing but most of all praying. One thing I know for certain is that God will make a way. Another thing I know for certain is that He doesn't always share all his plans with me up front! My part is to do the praying and his part is the answering. According to the Bible our years can be three score and ten and if it goes well with us even a few more years may be added on to that total. So possibly I may still be around at 70 and if it's looked at positively maybe a few years after the big seven zero. So, I guess all in all I have some things to look forward too although to some it may be a bit slim. What I'm truly blessed with at this time is first of all knowing where I will spend eternity. That's a relief to know when you're facing 60 and beyond for sure! Then there is the time with my husband which is the best of our lives now that it's just the two of us. We hardly rattle around our home all alone but rather have our youngest daughter and her family living close and the joy of the youngest grand baby visiting often. We have been blessed with six children and fourteen grandchildren all together. Two sets of twins make up those fourteen and they are a joy as are the others. I can honestly look back over the years and find strength for the days ahead because I've seen so many things work out when there seemed to be no way. I know God is with me and I have the love of my family. So bring it on 60! Perhaps I will just go ahead and say with Scarlett "Oh fiddle-le-dee, I will think about it tomorrow".....or I will wake up one morning in late October and say "Well looky, looky who just turned 60 and the sun didn't stop shining after all!