Celebrate your age, whether you're 39 or 70. The main thing is to be surrounded by fun and great people of all ages.
I've been thinking a lot lately about age and celebrations. Well, celebration of age, actually. Maybe it's because I recently celebrated an age where there are more years behind me than ahead. My 70th birthday. The celebration was a great one - it went on for a week!
I love birthdays. I think of mine as the only day of the year that is my very own. I've always made the day (or week!) special. Back in my school days a group of special friends would always join me in "jigging" school on my birthday. They're scattered across the country now, but every year some of them always let me know how they celebrated My Day! In later years I'd "jig" home responsibilities or work. I usually give ample notice of the Big Day coming up, and I've never been shy or sensitive about announcing my age. Thirty-nine-forever is not for me-I've always lived according to the principle "the older, the better." Maybe having had some great family models to follow helped.
Though I celebrate every year, it's the decades that seem to stand out in my memory. Thirty was celebrated with four young sons. Forty was spent on a long fishing trip. The surprise party at the office at age 50 and the gathering of special friends at Lesley's at age 60 were both memorable. But 70 was definitely the whiz-bang of all affairs! Concert, lunches and dinner out, great party at Peggy and Mark's where everyone exchanged presents. The maximum value was to be $2.50 but some crept up to $5.
There's a gaggle of special females in my life who make any occasion a special celebration-they outdid themselves on this one! A pedicure and lawn chair, candles, solar lights and many other treasures were part of my loot bag. And the highlight: my first real tattoo! The 70th celebration will last as long as my memory does. Can anything top this when I'm 80? Stay tuned!
We do tend to celebrate, don't we? First snowfall, a new house, graduation, first fish of the season, new job, retirement-you name it, we'll celebrate it. I recently celebrated a treasured aunt's retirement from life at age 93. She would have loved the farewell party. More than 100 friends and family members gathered in the church hall after the formal ceremony to partake of food and a gabfest. Not a bad turnout for a small town in Northern NB to say farewell to a 93-year-old! There were lots of com-ments along the lines of "You look the same," "You look like your mother," "I'd know you anywhere," and "Remember the time…..?" Mamie would have been pleased to see her great-grandson Aaron charm the young and the old. He was swarmed by the young because he's gorgeous, and by the old because he had just spent a year in university residence. He looks like he needs some good home-cooked meals!
We seem to respect and place great value on things that age well. Is it because the patina grows richer? The popularity of the Antiques Road Show would suggest this is so. Furniture, paintings and pottery are treas-ured because they have withstood the weathering effects of time. We attribute them with personalities that harbour mysteries and skeletons. That old rocking chair is charged with keeping family secrets - the safety deposit box of memories. We often hear "if that old table could talk…."
Sometimes we simply appreciate those things where the gears still mesh like they should. There's something to be said about original body parts that still work, though a tooth or two may have been replaced! Witness how the antique car shows attract hordes of people-some reminisce about having one "just like it;" others merely want to show their respect for something with great lines.
We give special status to older things. Old dinky cars are more valuable than new ones; old paintings can't be replaced. We're warned against scraping away the rich patina of age-it diminishes the value. So don't give that old chair a facelift! Replacing creaky parts is discouraged, too-that table with the wobbly leg is more of a collectable as it is. These are old things, loved simply because they're old. Just like people. Those creaks and wrinkles have been earned through valuable life experiences. The joints don't work as well as they once did? So what. Sometimes you have to make adjustments about how the old furniture or the old car is used…and the same is true of the body. Billy can't fly the CF-104 jet any more, but he can ride the motorcycle with the same precision. And with as much pleasure.
Age and parties go well together. Canada celebrates its 137th birthday this year. Isn't that cause for celebration? Red and white gatherings take place all across the country.
In world terms, Canada is young and vigorous and unexplored. In our own terms we're maturing well and gaining in wisdom and beauty. Last year I marked Canada Day with red lobster cooked on an open fire in a campground in northern Newfoundland. The white was a nice Chablis, followed by a touch of Lakka, a liqueur made of Newfoundland's own bakeapples. Campers gathered around the campfire, some with guitars so there was singing as well as laughter-the usual Newfoundland "time," though the revellers were a mix of people from several provinces and countries. I wish I were there for a repeat celebration this year.
Oh, it's great to live among the happy people here on the East Coast. There's nothing we like better than a good party. We don't lean toward the cocktail type of party where people go to be seen but would rather be somewhere else. We tend instead to favour the spontaneous or planned get-together of good friends. We go more for the assemblage of friends who want to be together often, merely to enjoy each other's company. Give us any occasion and we'll celebrate. And we welcome additions to any group-that's the way we get to meet new people. Maybe that's why we have the reputation of being so friendly….we include the new and the old in our celebrations.
Distance is never a hindrance when it comes to celebrating with friends, wherever they live. A few hours gets us from one province to another, and we don't hesitate to pack up our tent, sleeping bag and toothbrush so we can stay over. I've seen many weekends at my own place where every inch of floor space is filled with sleeping bodies! Good times in the Maritimes!
So, party on, people. Celebrate your age whether you're 39 or 70. The main thing is to live till you die, and live surrounded by fun and laughter, and great people of all ages. Paddle your own canoe as long as you can. Look for new opportunities in life, not new parts! Don't try to hide the beauty and richness of age-enjoy it and flaunt it. Celebrate every milestone in your life. I take issue with Leonard Cohen when he sings "My friends are gone, my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play." He should live on the East Coast where your friends are legion when your hair is grey, you ignore your aches, and everyone plays!
Watch for Billy and me at various celebrations this year - we're trying to teach my dog Kedgwick how to behave on a bike! Give us a high five on the road!