Today I turn 55. Fifty-five! For most of my life, age was just a number I didn’t spend much time thinking about. It quietly moved along in the background while I focused on everything else, family, work, goals, staying active. But now, age has a louder presence, not in a bad way, just… more noticeable.

And my younger husband? He’s absolutely delighted. Not about me turning 55, necessarily, but the perks that come with it. Discounts at certain stores? He’s like a kid in a candy store, lighting up every time he finds out I qualify for something new. “You get 10% off here now!” he announces with the enthusiasm of someone who just found a secret menu item. Meanwhile, I’m over here trying to figure out how my car keys ended up in the fridge. Again.

Aging hasn’t been perfect. I’ve experienced some big shifts, some joyful, some heartbreaking. My parents are no longer with me, and I miss them deeply. Every single day. Their absence has left me with a quiet kind of grief that I carry with me, not something that fades with time, but something that lives alongside me now.

They were a huge part of my life. My anchors, my sounding boards, my sense of home. And even now, I still haven’t quite figured out who I am without them. I’m learning, slowly, to keep living while holding space for that loss. Some days I do okay. Other days, not so much. But I keep going.

In the last few years, I’ve also had to say goodbye to two of my beloved dogs. The kind of love we have for our fur kids is so pure, so unconditional—it hits differently when they’re gone. Their absence has been its own kind of ache, one that still sneaks up on me in quiet moments.

All of this loss has nudged me inward. Not in retreat, but in reflection. It’s what pushed me to focus more on my emotional and spiritual health, something I ignored for the first 50 years of my life. Now, I know better. I know there’s more to well-being than physical fitness and the foods we eat.

Part of moving through all of this has meant turning inward.

Over the past five years, I’ve done something I never made time for before: I started focusing on my emotional and spiritual health. For the first 50 years of my life, physical health was my main focus and I’m proud to say I’ve maintained that. I’m fit, I take no medications, I have no health issues, and I am very flexible now. Yes, stretching, because flexibility is important to me, and funny enough, I’m more flexible now than I was in my 30s. Take that, past self.

But now, I’ve realized there's more to true vitality than a strong body. There’s what’s happening on the inside. I became a Certified Breathwork Facilitator and a Guided Meditation Soul Coach (I’m still figuring out what that really means in practice, to be honest—but it felt right). The truth is, once I started turning inward, I discovered just how much there is to learn about yourself from a soul perspective.

It’s changed how I live. I’ve become more intentional. I listen more to my body, my intuition, and the spaces in between. I’ve learned that healing isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey, and that growth doesn’t always look productive. Some days it means journaling, some days it’s a walk, sometimes it’s just pausing to take a few deep breaths in the middle of the chaos.

I still work, and I still love it. Work gives me purpose and it stretches my mind and keeps me engaged with the world. But now, I approach each day differently. I prioritize my health, yes, but that now includes my mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. How that looks changes day to day, and that’s okay.

So, here’s to 55. Not perfect, but grounded. Still thriving. Still questioning. Still laughing. Still learning how to be a human in progress. And if aging brings more clarity, depth, connection, and yes, discounts—I’ll take it.

Today, I celebrate with a slice of birthday cake, a glass of wine, and the simple joy of living in the moment. No rushing, no pressure, just gratitude for where I’ve been, pride in who I am, and curiosity about what’s still to come.

Join me this year and beyond as I share my personal journey of embracing the physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges that come with aging. Together, we’ll explore the complexities of growing older and discover the beauty in every step of the process with a slice of humour.

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