60 is the New 40

It was my mom's 60th birthday on Friday. We had a nice family get together at a restaurant, and went back to their place for tea and cake. It was a nice evening, but I think it was a bit tough for my mom. I think she's a bit sensitive about hitting 60. This isn't all that weird for a typical Desi woman (all Desi women are sensitive about age), but my mom is not that typical. In some ways she is, in others, not so much. I mean, this is a woman who was pretty much an independent spirit all her life. She was hardly one to let a man tell her what to do (despite coming from a traditional Pak background), she lived life to the fullest, she kept her job even after her husband retired (mostly to maintain her own independence). In many ways, I think that observing her throughout my life contributed to my independence today. Watching her as I grew up, I saw a woman who could fix anything that was broken, who was the best problem solver of all, who was more practical than my father. My father was the emotional, reactive one (now you know where I get it from). My mother was the one who would let you be, as long as you weren't making massive mistakes in life. I would hate to see this woman feel that life were winding down this soon. She is, after all, in many ways, a person that I look up to.

I tried to explain to her that 60 is the new 40. I'm not so sure she buys this. And maybe when I get to that age I might be the same, who knows? In the meantime, I would like to find some way to show her that the days of old age homes taking in the 60 something people is long gone. She is 60 years YOUNG. Many more years ahead, many more dreams to unfold, many more new accomplishments to realize.

Come on mom- life is just beginning. Your children are married (OK, well, at least have been married once- damn I hate being the problem child!), you have a family that loves you, and the opportunity to explore the world, literally. Now you just have to find the motivation to get up and do it.

Here's to being motivated...