Last of the Fab Fifties


Four friends and I turned fifty this year. We’re all part of the close-knit staff of Spokane’s Union Gospel Mission homeless shelter, and our birthday bashes stretched from January through December. But that’s not everyone – my husband, Scotty, and our friends John and Ann also hit the mid-century mark in 2008. We’re the tail end of the Great Baby Boom, and my December birthday made me the tail end of the 2008 Fifties Club.

I’d heard from my husband that turning fifty wouldn’t be easy, and he was right. It was a shock when I filled out a form online yesterday and had to type in 50 instead of 49. More than any other birthday, this one portends the downhill slide toward old age. I’m noticing more of the gray I’ve been struggling to cover (see “Why I Decided to Go Gray”). I can feel a little stiffness in my knees, and my clothes seem to have shrunk.

On the other hand, I have countless blessings, including amazing kids & grandkids and a wonderful husband of two years. May the next fifty far surpass the first.