This whole BBBC thing was completely spur-of-the-moment, and I didn’t give most of the prompts a lot of thought. Today’s is specifically timed, however. It’s my birthday.

I am not one to make a huge deal over birthdays. As long as I get cake. That’s important. I love cake. Not just any cake, cake with a lot of icing. The type/flavor of cake doesn’t matter as long as it’s covered in real icing. Not that lame whipped cream stuff, the sugar-laden kind, and LOTS of it. Preferably with decorations made of icing, too.

The idea for this prompt wasn’t to make a big deal of my birthday, or to make everyone reveal their age, but rather to think about age, aging, and what it means to you.

I’m 49, by the way. That means 2016 will be the final year I spend “in my forties.” It’s a sobering thought. Not that I regret aging. For me, every birthday marks another year I have survived. Getting older is a privilege, not a given. Besides, the older I get, the more I am able to learn. About other people, stuff in general, geography, literature, movies, food, etc. About myself.

I’m not the type to worry too much about looking older. Feeling older, i.e., experiencing all the aches, pains, and other issues of an aging body, well, that sort of sucks. But it’s better than being dead.

Thoughts of aging for me usually turn to wonder at how fast time really does seem to pass.

It’s so hard to believe that picture was taken twenty-two years ago. Twenty-two!

Kids really do grow fast.

Hubby makes fun of me, because I’ll often suggest we do something “because it could be the last time” a chance presents itself. I’m usually right, too.

Like our “last” real family vacation. Before the kids scattered, coupled-up, jumped into their own lives. Lives where we, the parents, take the back burner, and become more of an obligation than a reality. Lives where other people, people they chose, join the fray. For better or worse and all that.

We’ve been lucky. The kids have all chosen their partners well.

That vacation was lots of fun. We went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton. It’s hard to believe it was 12 years ago…

I think the last time we were all together was 2013, at Eric’s wedding.

The kids HAVE scattered. In 2004, I never would have guessed that 12 years in the future Shannon would be living in San Diego, or that Amy would be in Washington State of all places. I wouldn’t have guessed I’d have three grand-kids either. Or that Eric, our baby, would be married.

That was a fun birthday weekend. You can read about it, and see pics, HERE (Part 1), or HERE (Part 2).

I forgot to share this picture of me walking Eric down the aisle at his wedding. Unconventional, yes, but awesome.

There’s a reason this act is often referred to as giving your kid away.

Sigh.

I’m not sad. Honest. It’s the circle of life. And I have seen, done, and experienced a whole lot of pretty cool stuff. I’ve met and/or gotten to know some really cool people. Some assholes, too, of course. (Nothing like an asshole to make you appreciate people, eh?)

I’ve traveled a lot more than I ever thought I would, too. And I’ll travel some more, still, if I am lucky.

Life is good.

AND… I have cake.

I’ll just say it was damaged.

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See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.

How did the other brave, bold bloggers respond and/or interpret this daily challenge? See for yourself!

• Richard of Richard’s Page
• Rachael (aka Fuzzy) of Fuzzygalore.com
• Steve of Scooter In The Sticks
• Mark of Markneustadt.com
• David of Life on Two Wheels

If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.

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This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…

Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.

• Richard’s Page
• Fuzzygalore
• ScooterInTheSticks
• markneustadt.com
• Life on Two Wheels