By Stacie Prada
I’m turning 50 this year, and I’m excited. I have genuinely been looking forward to it for years. No exaggeration.
Approaching the half century mark is a big deal. Anyone who lives to age 50 will have experienced many joys and challenges. I think acknowledging the wonderful and terrible things we’ve enjoyed and endured in our lives is a worthwhile assignment. (See my post on My Life List.)
For me, living 50 years is meaningful, because it exceeds the number of years my mom and grandmother ever lived. It’s a life event I sometimes superstitiously wondered whether or not I would ever reach. Add living with multiple sclerosis, and turning 50 feels like a major accomplishment!
This year is my year to have 50 experiences of significance in my 50th year. They’ll include bucket list items, accomplishments and celebrations. I’ll share them and mark them with #50at50yrs on social media.
I’m filling my 50th year with travel, music, culture, learning and creating, and I’ll share it somewhere, somehow, at some point, by some form of communication or in-person interaction with everyone I care about in my life. I hope it will enrich my life by making memories, furthering my life goals, and nurturing my relationships and soul. The excitement of planning, experiencing and reflecting on these life moments will be worth cherishing now and reminiscing upon in years to come. Looking for things to celebrate will ensure I find them. (See my post on Finding What I Seek.)
What I include can vary immensely, and the only requirement I’ve set is that it will be meaningful to me. It can be something I’ve never done, or it can be something I’ve done before and never thought I’d do again. Some are projects I’ve wanted to undertake for years, and getting to a milestone marker for the project will make the cut. Some items are things I’d like to make part of my daily life, and doing them consistently will be a mini celebration each day in anticipation of an achievement to celebrate at the end of the year. Some will be pre-planned and on a list for things to do this year, or I may realize after I’ve done something that it deserves to be counted in my #50at50yrs.
A fun coincidence for me is that Multiple Sclerosis Association of America is also celebrating 50 years in 2020. I’m excited to be a part of their year-long celebration where they’re featuring 50 clients in 50 weeks with #MSAA50. These clients will share why they support MSAA and/or the MS community. Check it out, and stay tuned for more!
#50at50yrs #MSAA50
*Stacie Prada was diagnosed with RRMS in 2008 at the age of 38. Her blog, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” is a compilation of inspiration, exploration, and practical tips for living with Multiple Sclerosis while living a full, productive, and healthy life with a positive perspective. It includes musings on things that help her adapt, cope and rejoice in this adventure on earth. Please visit her at http://stacieprada.blogspot.com/
