HaPpY 50th BiRtHdAy

Turning fifty

Must be nifty.

She must be kidding

Is my bidding.

Looking good

As there she stood,

Trying to get a handle

On blowing out...

All those candles.

Copyright: Teresa Mahieu
July 1991

April 7th, 2010
My mother's 50th birthday was in 1991. One of my gifts to her was this poem. And of course just as I had expected, she loved it. She is my mom after all and mothers love all gifts given to them by their children.

So here I am all these years later and now I'm 50. But I don't feel like I'm 50. How is 50 suppose to feel anyway? I have aches and pains, I expected that. My hair is graying and has been for years, I expected that too. My skin is a bit wrinkled here and there, as was expected. I've had a nice quiet and calm day, just as I wanted. I even expected that as well. As my 50th drew closer I gave subtle hints to family that I wanted a day to myself; a day to relax. I got what I wanted and it was oh so nice. Sleeping in and staying home. I didn't even get dressed until after lunch.

I had such a fun surprise as I woke this morning. My youngest had "decorated" my vehicle with black balloons and streamers. She even added a few pink balloons and a black tombstone with a bit of pink painted over it. This was stuck into the spare tire rack. And the windows, oh the fun she had painting the windows. I think my favorite was the cake she drew with lots of candles and the words "too many candles" beside it. She did the same thing to her dad's truck on his 50th. She's gotten us both now. There are black balloons tied to our yard fence too!(Billie's 30th will be coming soon enough. Payback maybe! ;-)

This afternoon the Fed Ex man delivered a big long box. It contained 50 roses of many different colors with a card stating they were from one lucky husband and a YOUNG daughter. Ha Ha! She got me with that one too. Silly girl!! I love her so... I was enjoying a nice chat with that same daughter when the Fed Ex man came so she was somewhat with me while I opened in. The box says they came from Pro-Flowers. I must say they were packaged quite well and seem to be very fresh. Included were instructions for unwrapping and two packets of flower food along with care instructions.

Hubby took me out to dinner this evening, my choice. I chose IHOP. The one in our town is fairly new and this is only the third time I've been. The food was great, I had a T-bone steak done medium well. My apologies to my vegetarian and vegan friends but I do love a good T-bone now and then. Just as we were finishing up I spotted my older daughter, (yep the OLD one), and granddaughter coming in the door. I should have known what Bobbie was up to when she stopped to speak to the hostess for so long. They brought me gifts to open and my granddaughter was grinning way to big. Yep, you guessed it. The clapping started and out came all of the staff with a yummy strawberry dessert and an announcement that someone was having a 50th birthday. The head waitress must have said 50th half a dozen or so times and then they sang to me. It was fun and I really wasn't all too embarrassed. Being a family restaurant many of the children at dinner where shouting out happy birthday.

I'm home now and all is quiet again as I sit here telling my story of my Big 5-0 day. I've had a call from daughters, mom and my siblings. It's been a good day, a calm day, and a relaxed day. It almost feels like I've been in a whole new world today. Tomorrow I go back to the real world of working and responsibilities. I'm still not sure what 50 is suppose to feel like.

Hey mom, are you sure you got my birth date right? Am I really 50? I don't think so.....

I wonder what 60 will be like....