Yesterday I turned 70.
I took turning 50 very hard. I couldn’t believe my youth was irrevocably over. I do remember my friend Tara telling me that 50 is the age past which you don’t care what they think anymore, and she was right. So that part was good. It was hard for me making peace with turning 50, but then, just as friends had told me would happen, on that day something broke and I was fine with it.
At 60 I felt an increase in power but also the sense that in some way it was time to start cleaning up the campsite.
70 feels big. Somebody said to me the other day that there’s something regal about it, and that feels true. But heavy as well. Deep. Important. You don’t turn 70 and automatically assume you’ll be around for another 0 year. You don’t say, “Oh I wonder what I’ll do for my 80th” the way you one day thought, “Oh I wonder what I’ll do for my 40th.” Of course you never know if you’ll turn 40 any more than you know whether you’ll turn 80, but the chances are what the chances are.
For those of you turning 50, I wrote a book called The Age of Miracles about that transition, in case it would be of interest to you.
A Course in Miracles says the body is just a suit of clothes, so I guess I’m wearing vintage now! It says physical birth is not the beginning but a continuation of your life, and physical death is not the end but a continuation of your life. Your spirit is the real you, and your spirit is the same when you’re 7 as when you’re 70.
Turning 70, I feel everything until now was rehearsal. Decades ago an old woman I knew said to me, “Oh I’ll tell you the best age! Would you like me to tell you?” I said “Yes!” I was wondering if she was going to say 30 or 40 or whatever. But she said, “75! You’re finally old enough to know what you’re doing, but still young enough to do it.”
For decades I laughed at that story. I thought it was so funny. I still think it’s amusing but for a very different reason. I think I understand now what she meant…
I took a long walk with God along the beach yesterday to celebrate my birthday.
“I have honed you, I have chastened you, I have prepared you. Now we’ll begin.”
I guess this means you’re old enough to be taken seriously. However…
I remember turning 70 for me; with my daughter, grandkids, friends and siblings;
Was the day I stepped into that eternal moment when/where gratitude, forgiveness and humor all flow together as gravity fades away.
Bless you Marianne, for the light you bring to so many lives. I hold you gently in my Heart.🕊
As you know I love you so very much and your words touched me I felt the sense of empathy and compassion. As you know I've been with you and you've guided me for nearly 40 years I have to say I like that you're older than me because I get a sense of the road ahead by listening and watching you my road may not be so broad as yours my life is a little narrower but what I face and what you face seem to have a Resonance of the same quality. Keep going Marianne. Shine so brightly as you always do that you can be a beacon to the rest of us. Oddly enough that's kind of how I see you. You're a pioneer of sorts carving out your life you've paved the way for so many of us to live more fully richly and deeply as a result of you and your teachings. Your remarkable woman Marianne and still my very favorite person. Much love to you happy belated birthday and all my love. Can't wait to see you again