Fifty is here! A half-century. Geez! I should feel older or younger or something different. Don’t we all have preconceived notions about what turning 50 is means? As a child, fifty certainly meant impending death, but by forty, it looms back of mind like an object you can’t remember where you put. As the years tick by, fifty shifts to the horizon, and as the last days of your forties arrive one by one; you realize fifty is kinda a big deal and kinda not!
In fifty years, a lot of s@#t happens. You can’t make it to fifty unscathed, and therefore, fifty should be a time to celebrate. If you made it this far, you are more than capable of going the rest of the distance. It is a time to be grateful that you are still here. Life is a precious gift. Not all of us get to grow old gracefully or not.
My original plan for my 50th birthday post was to write about fifty things I’ve learned in fifty years. But every time I sat down to write, only silly platitude and sayings filled my mind. Sure, I have learned many things over the years, but condensing them into sound bites for an article wasn’t working for me.
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What I Know for Sure
So, I decided to focus on what I know for sure. Ala Oprah, style! What I know for sure is that over the last fifty years, my life has been made rich by beautiful friends. I have been beyond blessed with amazing friends during every moment in my life. There is a funny joke about introverts, Question: How does an Introvert make friends? Answer: They don’t. An Extrovert adopts them. I have been lucky to be “adopted” by many amazing extroverts (and some introverts, too) over my life. Friends are one of life’s precious gifts.
When reflecting on my life (which is something you can’t help but do at 50), I realized I wanted to celebrate my friendships instead of myself for my birthday. So for my party, I decided to host a tea in honor of friendship. I invited friends, both new and old but, all have had an impact on my life. I invited my dear friend Amy, who is my oldest friend and with whom I recently reconnected. Her amazing smile and positive spirit have kept me laughing over the years.
My Blond BFF’s
My Inner Circle
Of course, my two blond BFFs were there: Lesley and Sarah. They say every brunette needs a blond BFF, and I am lucky enough to have two. These women are my ride or die, friends. Both have seen me through the darkest days of my life. I included my mommy friends from elementary school and my TKD moms, who are my constant support system through all things. Honestly, there are so many more I could have included, but being an introvert, I prefer my gatherings small.
The TKD Moms
You get the gist. We all have women who support us through thick and thin. These friendships are the real gift of life. My goal was to honor their impact on my life. Honestly, I am a better person because of them.
The Tea
All of my friends know, I am a tea addict. It is my last pure vice. I wanted to host the party at my home, and an afternoon tea seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring all my close friends together. Because I have a passion for not-cooking, I found a fabulous caterer to help me out. Wild Thyme Catering took care of everything. They were the only full-service caterer locally that willingly took on my small project, and they already had a menu for an afternoon tea.
Wild Thyme Catering did a fabulous job. From making adjustments like including options for vegetarians and my desire for clotted cream, the events coordinator was quick and responsive. On the day of the party, the on-site coordinator took care of all of the setup, replenished our food and hot water, and thoroughly cleaned up, even taking the trash with her.
The food was beyond good! We had the traditional tea fair of small sandwiches, breakfast pastries, and desserts. The buffet also included a spinach and strawberry salad, fruit skewers, and a charcuterie plate with the most amazing cheeses. There was something yummy for everyone.
The Flowers
I am fortunate to have so many amazingly talented friends. Dominique and Lesley are a dynamic duo that can tackle any project big or small. Truth be told, they could have catered the whole darn event with their cooking skills, but I would never ask them to do it. I did, however, ask them to “help” with the flower arrangements. And in true dynamic duo fashion, they completely outdid themselves. They took my vision and executed it beyond my wildest dreams. If you are interested in some of my inspiration, you can follow me on Pinterest. I love pinning good ideas. The best part is, we found some beautiful Dahlias for the arrangements.
The Dynamic Duo
The Favor
My goal with the tea was to honor my fabulous friends, so for the favor, I wanted something unique. I decided on the Kendra Scott Rue Pendant that I picked up at Nordstrom. The necklace has a dainty flower that sits at the hollow of your neck. It is available in silver, gold and rose gold. I also wrote a personalized note to each person thanking them for their friendship and letting them know why they are special to me. I used the Crane & Co envelopes as place cards.
Birthday
Even though I didn’t advertise it was my birthday, these are my close friends, so of course, they knew about my big day coming. I received so many thoughtful gifts. I honestly have amazing friends with amazing taste.
Turning 50!
And now I am fifty. I don’t feel much different. Over my forties, I have grown more and more into the women I was meant to be. That growth gave me the courage to start this blog and be less afraid of being my authentic self. Time has taught me, the only way you truly become old is by giving up learning and growing. Life continues to be an adventure, and new things are always around the corner. As my MIL mentioned at the tea, “my best years were my 50’s because I had the life experience to guide me, the means to enjoy life, and I still felt pretty darn good.”
I am looking forward to fifty more years of fabulous friendships.
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