Thoughts and musings on turning 50…

Disclaimer: David will be writing today’s post since it is HIS birthday!

I am sitting here tonight on the eve of turning 50 years old, and I can say I have never felt more fulfilled. It is amazing what a decade can do for someone. This is a much different feeling than 10 years ago when I was turning 40. Back in 2012 things were pretty dark. We were going through some difficult family issues, we were in a lot of debt, and I was working 70 hours a week. simply put, I did not see any way out of that downward spiral.

It would be cliche to say I was in the midst of a midlife crisis, but that seems the easiest way for most people to understand where I was at. As that my 40th birthday approached I made a decision. As Steve Harvey said: I “jumped.” Actually Jenny and I jumped together. We knew something had to change. It was slow going because those changes did not happen overnight, but little by little we focused on what we needed to do to live the life we wanted. My 40’s had a lot of ups and downs, but it was a decade of personal growth. That growth has given us a chance at everything we ever wanted.

Tonight I sit here humbled and blessed, but also proud. It took a lot of sacrifices in order to allow us to travel full time. I know the hard work that Jenny and I did to achieve this opportunity. We took the lumps, bumps and bruises, but never lost faith. Today, our lives are a lot different than they were ten years ago. The best advice I can give to all of you is to “JUMP“- Take the chance, and go for it. Honestly, what do you have to lose? If you are unhappy or unsatisfied with the trajectory of your life then decide what it is that you really want and move toward that instead. lf it were easy, everyone would do it, but anything worth having is worth fighting for. You only have one life to live and living it fully is the best gift you can give to yourself.

50 looks amazing to me, and I can not wait to see what this decade has to offer. I know that there will be rough moments at times. That is part of life. However, as I walked around San Antonio today I had a smile on my face and in my heart. I am truly happy with my life and the choices I made over the last decade. The hour draws near, and 50 is about to begin. Let me close by giving thanks to God for all He has done for me and my family. I will continue to work hard, sacrifice, and keep my faith strong regardless of what happens. I am grateful to now be basking in the joy that is our life. This is what we have wanted for a long time and it has finally come true. There is nothing like this feeling and there is nothing better than living a life without regrets!

I will admit that I am struggling to find the right pictures that capture what I am trying to say in this post, so I will just close with two that mean the most to me:

First, is a picture of my family celebrating together this past Christmas. It was a night filled with love and laughter and a few bittersweet moments as we said our goodbyes (we left Ringgold, GA the following Monday). We shared a lot of stories and we all agreed it was one of the best Christmases ever. It was the perfect way to end the chapter of living our lives in Georgia together for the past 20 years.

Second, is a picture of Jenny and I arriving at our new temporary home in San Antonio. This moment was the reward. It was the moment we had been waiting for: the beginning of our new chapter where we get to live our life by our rules. All the relief and joy we had been holding back finally burst forth in this moment. This is my life as I begin a new decade/half century. 50 has never looked better.