Wendy, 51 yrs

“I’ve always loved my birthday. I’ve never had that mentality of, ‘oh my gosh, I’m turning 50, my life is over’. No one else needs to like it, but I love my birthday.

When I was younger, I was very quiet and shy. I didn’t share my opinion and got walked on a lot. Now I’m outspoken and a lot more secure in myself. The older you get, the more life experiences you have, and the less you care about what others think.

I don’t feel a pressure to remain youthful. I think it’s because when I grew up, social media didn’t exist. This generation, though, has so much to deal with because they’re connected to and are interacting with the whole world. Back then, we just dealt with the people we knew.

My kids are 21 and 22. They are my greatest accomplishments in my life. As they got older, my worries about them got bigger. It was easier when they were younger because you can solve their simple problems. When they are older and on their own, you don’t know what’s happening to them so your worries are greater.

I don’t gauge a friend by how old they are. My good friend lives in BC, she’s 37 and we’re very close. She tells me that she always forgets how old I am. My other good friend is older than me, and we get along so well.

In my mind, I always believe that every decision you make takes you one way. I’m fine with where I am in life. I think that if I were to change something, then maybe I wouldn’t have my kids and I don’t want that. So, I wouldn’t change anything, all my decisions brought me here. Everyone evolves as they grow older. If you don’t like where you are going, make a different decision.

Honest conversations don’t happen often. I’m an open person, I don’t have trouble being vulnerable with people. I’m not the type of person who thinks that if I only see you for 5 minutes, you don’t deserve my time. I want to appreciate the person in front of me, even if it’s 2 mins or 20 mins. I don’t think enough people do that, most people are so busy and on their phones. I find that people don’t want to engage with each other enough anymore. People are fun if you have the right attitude.”