I realized that I had never really thought about turning 66 (or any age past 65, actually!). All my life I have had goals attached to certain ages or at least period of time in my life---age 8 be baptized; age 12 Young Womens (or attend MIA as it was called when I started); 16 driving and dating; 18 graduate from high school, go to college, and the list goes on. Once I was married, we targeted going on a mission at 65 which actually happened as planned. So that age and goal has been a part of my plan for a very long time...but as I mentioned, I haven't set any other age-related goals for myself.
The day of my birthday was great despite starting off with a bad night of sleep and a migraine in the morning--it had been a migraine week :( last week.
First thing in the morning before the migraine hit, Jena, Gary and I headed over to the Mission office before anyone else arrived and left some flowers, chocolates, and birthday cards on Sister Kathy Randall's desk. She is the mission president's wife and she and I share the same birthday. Last year, she called me and wished me happy birthday and I decided then that I would do something for her this year when we are both missionaries.
We were happy to get in and out without being seen. Afterwards, Gary headed back to the Church History Library and Jena and I headed home. An hour or so later, Gary called to see how I was feeling and to tell me that the mission president and his wife were headed to the Church History Library to wish me happy birthday. Of course, I wasn't there which Gary had told them, but they brought this birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to me on video along with President Parker. That was so kind.
Next Gary headed home with the cake in hand so that we could do an short oral history interview.
One of the sweet moments of the day was the my morning prayer/plea to be able to do my oral history interview and attend the temple in the afternoon was answered with my migraine and related symptoms abating about 30 minutes before the interview and coming back that evening after we returned home. A tender mercy on my birthday.
When the Ogden Temple first allowed reservations, I had scheduled a time on June 24 but a couple of hours later, I changed it to July 1st. I hope my ancestor was okay with another week delay, but I thought it would be a great way to celebrate my birthday and going back to the Temple after the pandemic closings. I was tearful as I entered the temple and tears were "close" as they say, throughout the entire session. How sweet it was to be there on my birthday!
Gary's sister, Vonette, and her husband, Gary, joined us three and then we all headed out to dinner afterwards.
There was a wedding group taking photos of the temple as we exited so we didn't take many pictures of the temple, so I got this one as we drove home. Glad to be able to be in the temple again.
We made it home in early evening and then I had a phone call with Ben and Facetime with Jessica, Scott and Tosha and their families.
Scarlett and James in the linen closet
Scott took this screen shot of our call.
I got emails and texts from family and friends wishing me happy birthday. And Gary and Jena gave me a new game:
Definitely a game for future Zone and Friend gatherings....
It was a perfect birthday!
Liam and I figured out that he just turned 6 and I am 66 so we are "twinners" as well as Scarlett and Niki who are both 6 for a few more weeks. Also, I thought it was fun that my dad turned 88 this year so we match on having repeated digits for our ages.
But, back to the original topic--What am I going to do when I grow up past 65 years old? 66 is fairly easy I will be serving a mission for most (if not all) of the next 12 months.
After that; ??????
I know that I want to be found doing what the Lord intends for us to be involved in. Some possible things which MAY happen are:
a second mission maybe in 2023
family and grandmothering stuff--visits, reunions, etc.....
traveling in no certain order--Montana, Lake Louise in Alberta Canada, the southern Oregon Coast and Redwoods in CA, Yosemite, Alaska trip, a river cruise in Germany, an African safari, visiting the US states we haven't been to, New York City, Paris with Jena, Iceland, Israel, cruise around the tip of South America......this list could be endless as the world is an amazing place. Even in Utah, there are cool spots that we have not yet seen. Let's see where our travels may take us in the next several years. I will have to come back to this list in five years and see what matches up.
family history and family research
temple service--doing family names and maybe serving in our own Syracuse Temple (I see this as part of the work of my 70's)
Community involvement--working both in the area of disabilities to improve services for adults with Down syndrome and their families and community mental health
Take classes on-line and in-person--maybe even get another degree (in history or religious studies) For sure, I want to take a Botany class, some history and literature classes, and religion classes.
and read....lots and lots of books of all kinds!
I have lived my life long enough to know that my plans are not always God's plans and I am okay with that. I only want to be found doing what He wants me to do. I am also old enough to know that life can change in a moment and I want to manage those changes in the best way possible which requires daily practices to strengthen me for those future events. I am old enough to understand that how many more days I have or any of us have on this earth is unknown to us, but under God's watchful care.
In my patriarchal blessing, I was promised a "long life." I tell Gary that one of the reasons I married him was that his blessing indicated something similar. I think that I always believed I would live until 65 to be able to serve a mission. Everything ahead are bonus days for me and I hope that I can remember to live them that way---even when I am having a migraine week!
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