Uh-oh — one of those ‘zero’ birthdays is fast approaching

As I sit here on a snowy January morning, I am reminded that in a few days, at the beginning of February, I will be having one of “those” birthdays. You know the ones I am talking about — the ones that end in a zero. The ones that make you happy when you are young, happy that you are getting older, can do more, be more.

The zero birthdays as you get older that make you stop and think about your future, your life, your family, your mortality.

I am definitely in the “not just getting older” category, but the “how did this happen, I’m old” category. Oh, don’t get confused, I am happy that I am here and able to celebrate this birthday — as everyone says, the alternative is not too great.

But, I’m not totally sure how I feel about this birthday. It’s a mixture of happy and sad, a mixture of euphoria and fear, a mixture of many things.

I am so grateful to be alive, so happy to have my husband and my family. Those feelings are at the center of my thoughts about my upcoming birthday. Those feelings make every day special, make every day a good day.

I also appreciate and revel in my friends, both new and old. Those old friends from my youth are going through the same zero birthday reality, and we have laughed about it and keep track of who is “next.”

We are a source of strength for each other. My new and even newer friends, share in my everyday life — we talk, we laugh, we play golf, we experience together life’s day to day. I am so lucky to have them all, both new and old.

Going back to my family, you know I have these three grandsons. They do everything they can to remind me that I am old and then, at the same time, they keep me young. I play card and board games and still even a little basketball. I draw the line at throwing the football — I am terrible at that and they just make fun of me so I choose to not do that. My advancing age gives me that privilege.

As the shortest adult in my immediate family, the boys are constantly measuring to see how tall they are in comparison to Grandma. The oldest is almost a foot taller than me, grandson number 2 is quickly catching me (to his delight), and the youngest is now (at 6) less than a foot shorter than me. I am obviously losing the height battle with them. I do love those boys.

The fear of growing old is with me as I think about this birthday. I don’t want to become a liability to my family, I don’t want to not be able to do what I want to do, enjoy what I want to enjoy. I so want to keep my mind active and alert — I do “mind and memory” games to help keep my mind in a good place. I hope it helps. I guess the passage of time will tell. There, that’s where the fear comes in.

So, what do I do about this birthday? I guess I just embrace it. I guess I just embrace the changes that are bound to come. Yikes!

Happy birthday to all those celebrating a “zero birthday” or any birthday — make the most of it!

Note to readers: Nita Wyatt of Wyanet can be reached at wyattnm1950@yahoo.com.