I never envisioned my 60th birthday. Which is not to say that I did not expect to live to this point, but the concept of turning 60 has always been intimidating. And so, it was vacated from my thoughts until my later 50s.
While aging is not something I have thought about historically, mortality has long been on my mind. As a kid, I had chronic and severe asthma, which frequently resulted in asthma attacks and extended hospital stays—I vividly recall one asthma attack where the doctors were talking in hushed voices, concerned that I was not responding to treatment. By 60, both grandfathers had had heart attacks and were on the downward slide toward early deaths. One of my grandmothers was soon to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Many of my parent’s aunts and uncles were gone by 60.
Understandably, as I reached my later 50s, my own 60th birthday became a prospect filled with dread. During the spring of 2023, while hiking Sargent Mountain, I had an epiphany: Celebrate the year! The whole year! Undertake a series of adventures, bucket list goals, and other ambitious objectives to demonstrate that I am not bound to my grandparents’ fate. Sixty in all, one for each year of my life to prove my vibrancy to myself.
60 for my 60th.
I have created a document to guide me through my year, a sort of keepsake that I can one day hand off to my daughter. For anyone interested, a somewhat abbreviated version is available here: PDF of "60 for 60". While it is mostly prose, it includes a smattering of photos of my life, as well as a checklist of the 60 things I want to accomplish in my 60th year. And throughout the year, I will be making regular blog posts here, as well as tagging them on Facebook. Enjoy!
On Halfmoon Island, Antarctica, 2015.
