Today the year of age 47 comes to an end. I believe it started sometime around March 2020 but I can’t be sure anymore. Or maybe it was 46…. Frankly during the last couple of years I lost track of how old I am. I’m not really joking. I do know that today starts 48 though and so I thought I’d share a few of my thoughts about turning yet another year older.

Once you get into your late forties the actual number doesn’t mean as much. Most of my friends are somewhere in my age range, but I couldn’t tell you with 100% certainty who’s over 50 or under 45. It all just kinda blends together. What often is more relevant is where we are in our different stages of life and career. I have friends my age (and older) who are still dealing with kids in middle school, and then others like myself who’s youngest child is in their 20s. I have some friends who are still career hopping or are starting second careers at this age, and others who are firmly embedded in their chosen field and will never leave. Some of us have been on fitness journeys for a decade, while others have spent their whole lives running or biking at a high level.

Yet despite all this variances, there’s a few things I think we all share in common in this age range.

• There’s a distinct difference in the body of a late-40s person and a mid-30s person. If I could go back in time and tell my 20 year old self to savor the ability to climb stairs two at a time with ease I would do it. It’s striking how much our age can sap some of the simple things in our physicality.
• At the same time, I’m also in the best shape of my life (mostly). With age comes wisdom and determination. I’m a much more focused person now when it comes to being healthy and active. Not because I’m fearing death, but because I’ve realized how important being active is to my mental wellbeing. So many of my running and biking friends seem to get stronger with age, despite the slow deterioration of our bodies.
• Vision deterioration can kiss my ass. I miss my perfect vision.
• Wisdom and regret are just a part of life. As you gain more knowledge and perspective you realize you wish you had that same perspective twenty years ago. It’s just a fact, and learning to live with regret just seems to be another thing to deal with.
• But to counter that regret, the wisdom to make good choices, and to seek out new things gets stronger and more powerful. Learning more and more about the world around us, traveling to new places, experiencing new things… all are more appreciated at this point in my life.

Ok, this has been a bit of a ramble so let’s tie this up. People like to tout the phrase “Age is just a number.” Perhaps that’s true, but it’s also an important marker of where we’ve been and where we’re going. I’m 48 today and it’s just another day. I’ll continue to do the things I love and continue to strive to be the person I want to be. And I’ll keep striving as each year passes, learning and experiencing as much of life as I can.