Today I turn 60. I’ll sleep in, get my radiation treatment, go out for lunch and hang with my family at Laura’s tonight. Here are some of my thoughts on turning the big six-o:

Favorite decade? More than a year ago when I started thinking about turning 60, I started asking random people what their favorite decade of life had been. Up to this point, I think I enjoyed my 30s most of all. From 28 to 38 in particular, John and I had four children. I loved being pregnant (most of the time) and loved raising my young family. We were active at church and hopeful for the future. The 40s & 50s were definitely tougher times that were far less enjoyable for me, so I was hoping that the 60s would be another great decade. The decade isn’t getting off to a great start but I’m still hopeful that I will get through this and really enjoy the next ten years.

T minus 15? Even before the cancer diagnosis, my “plan” was to die in my mid-70s. After spending 8+ years working with older patients in Internal Medicine, I decided that I really didn’t want to get old. I don’t consider 75 old but I hoped to die before I actually got old. I also had observed older saints for many years and was a bit dismayed at how few of them really looked forward to heaven. I wanted to enjoy my life on earth and still have a healthy anticipation of heaven. I wasn’t planning to actually do anything about it except hope God agreed with my plan. So, it’s kind of funny to think that I might only have 15 years of life left (and recognize that it could possibly be less.) Instead of wondering how I got so old (60!) I’d like to think how I can best use these next 15 years and then trust God for whatever actual plan He does have for my life.

And yes, I have a bucket list. Nothing requiring jumping out of airplanes or other wild adventures. I would like to:

• Live in the city for 6-12 months
• Winter in New Zealand
• Visit the Scotland, particularly the Shetland Islands
• Write a book or two
• Paducah Quilt Show
• Learn to weave
• Travel USA in (small) campervan visiting National Parks
• Own a hot tub
• Launch Johnny
• Live in Western Michigan
• Meet and enjoy all my grandchildren

Somehow, my bucket list seems to miss the point spiritually. I suppose that is to be expected from a concept developed in Hollywood, but I’d like to think that I have higher goals. I just read a blog recommending coming up with a Life sentence, a single sentence that states my life purpose. One of my goals this week, as I turn 60, is to try to come up with one. At the start of my “best decade ever” with only 15 years to go 🙂  it seems like a good time to figure it out.