Turned 50 in 2010

Every time each new year comes, I would not wait long... my birthday would come a couple of weeks after. It's because my birthday's in January.

When I turned 50 in January (2010), I received lots of calls and emails from my loved ones and friends. They remembered my birthday and I was happy realizing that at 50, my family and my circle of close friends got bigger. In addition, I am more contented, more confident, more achieved, more experienced, happier, smarter, stronger, etc... of course that is if I compare what I am now with what I was 20-25 years ago.

Well, looking back at the ups and downs I went through in my life, I think I did well. I got married young but managed to continue my studies while having kids and raising them one after another. And I did not just finish one university degree but two. Life had not been very smooth for me but I believe that my determination, hard work and resilience made me sail through life's storms with success.

I would like to give credit to my parents who raised me and my siblings well. I learned a lot from them and even though they're now gone, I shall say that what I am now, how I take care of my family and myself, how I am as a wife, as a friend, as an employee and as an employer are all because of how I was raised by my parents.

I am living a colorful and contented life right now. Despite challenges (which are just part and parcel of anybody's life), I shall say my life is full of love and joy. I am surrounded by loving and caring family members and close friends and I hope and pray that my life stays this way for as long as I live.

However, I also know that hoping and praying would not be enough. I need to ensure that I try my best to stay this way. It will not be easy I know, but just as I was able to course through my life from 1-49, I know that I could also be able to continue living my life to the fullest from 50 onwards...

I started this blog so I can track how I would be doing in this endeavor. I am sure that along the way, there would be lots of things to do, to learn, to discover. And I thought that I should share these with other women of my age who also want to live gracefully, healthily, happily, contentedly, and meaningfully from today onwards.