Age has never mattered much to me but it did prompt me to reflect on my life and the wonderful blessings and challenges that have come my way in that time.
One thing I am grateful for every day is my lovely friends – they are a wonderful mix of individuals with lots of interesting quirks and qualities.
As I sat there smiling at my life, I drifted into wondering what achievements I might not yet have accomplished that my friends would wish for me.
Being a girl of action, I decided to find out.
At every opportunity over the next 6 months, I gave my friends notecards to write down what challenges they would like to see me achieve before I was 50.
I was interested to see the outcome so, I collected the cards together, whittled out the ‘that’s not happening’ ones (I’m not being a human cannonball for anyone!!) and came up with a list of 50 to achieve before my Golden Jubilee Birthday.
During this journey, amongst others, I have kissed a policeman; appeared on a London stage; been an extra in a movie; supported a Dutch football team for a year; walked the London Monopoly Board; sung with nuns; walked a tightrope; driven a double decker bus; delivered a lamb; visited Vienna; stayed at The Ritz; walked over hot coals; climbed an active volcano and ridden a Rodeo Bull (please note, if attempting the last one yourself, it would be wise to schedule in at least a week’s recovery time!!);!!
Now, the question that comes up most often when people find out I have done this is ‘what has been your favourite challenge?’.
Whilst they have all been wonderful experiences (some of them at the time, others sometime after!), the one that will be etched into my mind forever was when I had to ‘spend 24 hours in silence’.
Being someone who is usually quite vocal and sociable, I knew that this challenge would be tough, but I didn’t realise beforehand what an amazing life lesson it was going to be.
Rather than stay at home, I decided I was going to live a normal day without a voice so, having donned a home-made t-shirt that notified people that I was being silent for 24 hours, I went about my business in the normal way.
I worked, I shopped and I met up with friends – it was an enlightening day, and, yes, not being able to speak was a challenge in all the ways I expected, but in one I hadn’t.
What it really bought into sharp focus for me was how many times a day people did something for me for which I wanted to thank them. Being unable to do so verbally meant I had to find other ways (nods, thumbs up etc) and made me really aware of what they had done for me.
It made me realise that ‘thanks’ can be a throwaway acknowledgement sometimes, said out of politeness and custom rather than actually feeling grateful.
My vow from now on is to be truly grateful every time someone opens a door for me or makes me a cup of tea or helps me in a shop because, whilst there are many big things that I have to be thankful for, it is the hundreds of little things that people do for me every day which make my life really wonderful.