I'm 50!

I turned 50 today. Nothing is different and everything is different. I had lunch yesterday with my best friend from high school. She is exactly one month older than me and we have been celebrating our birthdays and half birthdays together for over 35 years. I told her that turning 50 wasn't bothering me because my partner loves me and thinks I'm beautiful.

I went through the whole day thinking, "Wow. I really am okay with turning 50." But about 6 p.m. I got weepy. There have been several events this week that have reminded me that Bryan and I are now empty nesters.

Last Friday, our oldest son, Matt, and his girlfriend, Kairee, left for a year in S. Korea. Our youngest son, Brett, left on September 13 to do his senior year in college in Norwich, England. Talk about an empty nest. We have an empty continent. We had last year with our youngest at college to get used to the idea. We didn't mind the empty nest because both of our children were easily reachable by phone. Both Matt and Brett left their phones on our kitchen island as they took off for the airport this time. At this point, we are dependent on them to let us know how they are doing. Thank goodness for email and Skype. How did our parents do it when we headed off to live our lives without email or cell phones or Skype or Facebook?

Then yesterday Bryan and I sold our third car. We had been keeping an old car around so that our children could get around when they were growing up. Obviously they have grown up and we don't need a third car because our children don't even live in this country.

I am 50 and nothing is different and everything is different.