Turning Fifty Idea

It’s 2026. I was born in April 1976, which means I am approaching 50!

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I wanted to mark the big five-0. I like parties, but throwing one for myself feels lame, and as much as being celebrated is very cool and gives you warm and fuzzy feelings, if it’s a big group, you never get to talk to everyone who kindly comes to celebrate you.

I’ve decided to acknowledge my fiftieth rotation around the sun by spending time in a very specific way with the people I care about.

I’m asking friends and family members to get together with me – in small groups or one on one – and teach me, show me, take me somewhere, or share an experience that is new to me. It can be new to the other person too, that’s even more fun, but it doesn’t have to be.

Before visiting Suzanne in Ohio I texted about this idea, apologizing and claiming that it wasn’t my intention to steal from her birthday weekend, which is why I was visiting her.

“I will teach you how to watercolor trees!”

I do have some watercolor experience, but the class I took was many years ago, and I was never taught how to paint trees. I was very excited to learn from Suzanne.

Suzanne has always been an artist, but she recently made a nook in her home so she could have a special place to paint. She loves birds and nature especially.

Learning how to paint trees was interesting because I found myself very frustrated to find I was really bad at it. I just couldn’t translate what she was doing – and she is a good teacher! – to my page with my hand. My efforts were really very sad. I kept simply trying to make branches! It was a great reminder that we are not going to be good at something on the first try!

My terrible efforts are in this little video towards the end. Hers is the first fabulous one you see. Suzanne is teaching me while Joe does the dishes!

We tried a few different ways but, curiously, I found that using a photo online as a reference and painting it that way worked better for me.

It was a fun first foray into my 50th birthday acknowledgment plan!