So, apparently, I’m 70-ish.
I say ish because somehow that makes it sound a little less official.
There’s something funny about turning 70. You still feel like yourself on the inside, but every now and then you catch your reflection and think, Who is that older woman? Then you remember… oh yeah. Me.
Being 70-ish is an interesting place to be.
You’ve lived long enough to know that life rarely goes exactly as planned. You’ve experienced the highs, survived the lows, made mistakes, learned lessons, lost people you loved, and collected memories you wouldn’t trade for anything.
And hopefully, somewhere along the way, you’ve learned that you don’t have to have everything figured out.
At this age, I care a lot less about what people think of me.
I’m not interested in impressing anyone. I’d rather be comfortable than fashionable, happy than right, and surrounded by people who make me laugh than people who make me feel like I have something to prove.
I’ve also discovered that “going out” has changed meaning.
Once upon a time, going out meant dinner, drinks, dancing and staying up way too late.
Now, going out can mean dinner at 5:00, home before dark, pajamas by 8:00 and being absolutely thrilled about it.
And honestly? That sounds pretty good to me.
There are things about getting older that nobody warns you about. Your body develops opinions of its own. You can hurt yourself sleeping. You forget why you walked into a room. And you can spend ten minutes looking for your glasses only to discover they’re on your head.
But there are also wonderful things about being 70-ish.
You know who you are.
You know what matters.
You know which battles aren’t worth fighting.
You appreciate a good laugh, a beautiful sunset, a phone call from someone you love and a day when nothing hurts.
You stop taking ordinary moments for granted.
And maybe that’s the greatest gift of getting older: realizing that ordinary is actually pretty extraordinary.
At 70-ish, I still have dreams.
I still have things I want to see, places I want to go, people I want to love, stories I want to tell and memories I haven’t made yet.
I’m not interested in acting my age.
I’m interested in living my age.
There may be a few more wrinkles, a few more aches and a whole lot more life experience, but I’m still here.
Still laughing.
Still learning.
Still loving.
Still becoming.
And if 70-ish has taught me anything, it’s this:
Getting older isn’t about counting the years you’ve lost. It’s about making the years you have left count.
So here’s to being 70-ish.
We’re not old.
We’re experienced.
And we’re just getting started.
Those 70ish Girls 