On Tuesday, June 18th, I finally turned 50! I have been saying that I am nearly 50 for the past 5 years or 7 years if you let Chad tell it. I feel like I spent most of my 40s wanting to be 50. I like the gravitas of 50. In Japan, the 40s are very lackluster years culturally. Japan is an openly ageist society. At 40, you just simply age out of a lot of opportunities. Women who are not married with children by the time they are 40 are viewed negatively by society. These are, of course, gross generalizations. I did notice a shift from my early 40s to my late 40s in that Japanese nationals treated me with more trust and respect, which I like. I also proudly sport my gray hair. In Japanese, 42 is the year of death and considered bad luck. For me, I just felt bored with being in my 40s, with 43 being the most boring age for me to be. I just wasn’t into it.

Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for every year I have on this earth; it was just about what the numbers felt like. Now that I’m 50, I feel like I’m doing something age wise. I will of course by July start saying I am in my 50s. I think it might be helpful to know that my father is still alive and very active in his 80s. Both of my paternal grandparents lived into their 90s and were active their entire lives. So I’m thinking I have another 40 years ahead of me, which makes me quite cheery about aging. That and being married to the love of my life. Having my life partner and our amazing son makes aging fun. Each year marks another year that we have all spent together. Also entering my 50s takes me into “respect your elders” years in Japan. I feel youthful and happy. I am embracing 50 and very excited to see what the next 20 years bring.