Birthday Boy

How the hell did that happen, I’m 69!!
Age kind of sneaks up on you, at 15 being 69 was beyond my comprehension, good god my grandparents weren’t even that old, well maybe just about.
You know everyone tells you; “it’s just a number, it’s how you feel that counts”, well that’s true up to a point but, here it is... the back nine of my life and it catches me by surprise...
How did I get here so fast?
Where did the years go and where did my youth go?
I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.
But, here it is...my friends have retired and going grey...they move slower and I see an older person now.
Some are in better shape and some worse shape than me...but, I see the changes. These are no longer the people as I remember them, they were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.
Most days taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory because if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit, especially in the sun.
So now in this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength I still have the will and the ability to go and do all the things that I enjoy.
I have the very lovely Mrs S, four children with their spouses and partners and four grandchildren all of whom bring me immense joy. My extended family, brothers, sister, nieces, nephews, cousins and one surviving aunt love me as I love them, unconditionally.
Friends, close friends, I am blessed with many, proper friends, the reliable, would do anything for you type of friends, as I hope I am to them.

Finally, do I have regrets, no, a waste of time and energy.
There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.
It's all in a lifetime.