47 means ...

Inspired by this post by Jennifer Ellison and this post by Amber Carillo, I thought I would write about what being 47 means to me ...


47 means you carry tweezers in your handbag and do not leave home without them.  Facial hairs can appear at a moment's notice.

47 means you get your kids to explain to you how to use your laptop, phone and tv.

47 means you get a shock when you look in the mirror because you don't look like that in your head.

47 means you don't go on the trampoline.  Ever.  Or sneeze on the way to the loo (fine to sneeze on the way back).

47 means it takes a lot to beat a nice cup of tea.

47 means you are on first name terms with your physiotherapist.

47 means you enjoyed the Speed Awareness course - it was interesting and informative and not a bad way to spend an afternoon at all.

47 means you always look surprised in photos - raising the eyebrows is as good as a facelift, right?

47 means you don't care so much how the shoes look as whether they're nice and warm and really comfy.

Having said all of that, 47 means I no longer worry too much about my lank lifeless fine flyaway hair, my sticky out ears, my pointy nose or my wobbly stomach.

47 also means I don't worry about whether I can sing and dance because I now know I can't but enjoy both anyway and enjoy the embarrassment factor of doing both in front of my kids.

47 also means I don't worry if I'm clever enough or good enough at stuff - I'm rubbish at pretty much everything but patchwork and I think I'm good enough at that.

And, somewhat soppily, 47 means I value my family more and more each year; husband, kids, parents, siblings as well as all the extra family extending from each of them.  When you're a kid, your family seem pretty irrelevant to the important things in life like parties and boyfriends and make-up but at 47 you realise you're like them and you like spending time with them and they are the important things in life (um along with quilting).  Go figure.

Comments

  1. Seems like you earned you wisdom much earlier than I. It took getting me to 62 to learn some of the lessons you have already learned.

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  2. You are officially hilarious, love it x

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  3. I'm 42 (almost 43), and I couldn't agree with you more!

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  4. Loved this post and all very true. I also hear it gets better at 50. Guess I'll find out in 6 months time.

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  5. Great post. I appreciate the laughter because this here quilter is turning a freaking scary number tomorrow and it is only today that I wrapped my head around being okay with it.

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  6. All true. For 38, anyway! Discovering the facial hair thing - scary....

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  7. Love your sentiments…I am with you all the way! Di x

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  8. I was going to laugh and comment when i saw that title that was it a reference to your age, you're not 47 really, it's a typo should say 37!!!! And even at 37 I can appreciate most of those :o)

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  9. I am with you on these, you are doing great.

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  10. I shall play along with you... although my list will start with 40 means...
    you are every bit as lovely as you should be and i'm damn sure you will be so lovely 47 years from now!!

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    1. PS happy birthday! mine is in two weeks!!

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  11. It sounds a lot like 49, except when you are 49 everything is like at 47 only nearer the ground.

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  12. I love your third point - that's exactly what I think - I and I am only coming up for 44 :-)

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  13. Happy Birthday. I wish I looked as good at 45 as you do at 47. (BTW what is it with the facial hair? No one warned me about that one! I thought it was just me)

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  14. You look maaahhhvvvveeelllous! And each year just gets better and better. From someone Over the 60 hill and enjoying every wrinkly, sagging minute of it!

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  15. At 60 I agree with all of that, especially the sneezing and the blooming annoying hair that emerges on my neck every few weeks!!

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  16. That is so true and so funny!

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  17. Hilarious! I'm so with you on the tweezers - I have a pair in my handbag, a pair at home and a pair in the car -and I'm (only?) 32!

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  18. What a great post! I'll be 47 at the end of summer and this has inspired me to start thinking...Thanks for sharing!

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  19. So enjoyed the post. Thanks for the chuckle! Sitting at 50 I can say life only gets funnier!

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  20. Aww great post. I'm 37 and most of things ring true for me. I dread to think what my body will have done to me by 47!

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  21. I'm 37 in a couple of months and hope I'm as wise as you in 10yrs time :) Great post x

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  22. I'll be 39 in a few weeks, and I'm sincerely hoping I'll get to meet you in person (for a giant hug) before I'm 40. (*plots amazing pre-40th bday trip to UK*)

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  23. The trouble is, now I need one of those big magnifying mirrors to use the damn tweezers! Trust me the sight of my face in that sucker every morning is enough to send me running back to bed! Oh, did I mention the thing lights up as well? That's 60 for you....but I did recently read that the aging brain gets more creative, so that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

    Great Post, Lynne, Happy Birthday/11

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  24. Oh my I can so relate to your post.... I just turned 44 and you are absolutely right about not sneezing on the way to the washroom! :-)

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  25. Oh this really made me chuckle, I'm 37 and agree with nearly all of what you said!!! :o)

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  26. You had me laughing and nodding at the same time! Don't forget to add coughing
    to the list ;D
    Too funny but so true, all of what you said!

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  27. Wait until you get to 67 and then tell me that stuff...........Oh honey!

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  28. Oh honey! Ha ha, I love Carol! And at 48 I realised I have lived more of my life than I expect I have left! Not enough sewing and quilting time I say! Love this post and it's all so true! Especially the embarrassing your children! I love that part!

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  29. Well said! I'm 47 next month and I concur!

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    1. Oh and the tweezers part is so scarily true!

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  30. Yaay you! I have tweezers in my car ashtray for the "old man ear hairs" (SIGH) None the less, life is good. Sing, dance and enjoy it.

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  31. you are a lovely 47, but more importantly, a fellow July baby! Happy Birthday my friend!

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  32. can't wait to see what you have to say in 5 years when you're my age!

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  33. Lynne, happy birthday lady! xoxo. Great post, hilarious and true as always. At 38 years old, i do already understand the tweezer issue, you'd think someone would come up with a better solution for the problem.....in the meantime we will keep sewing i guess.

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  34. And then you turn 60...
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!

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  35. I enjoyed reading this Lynne! I will be 47 next month and was going to write about what it means to me (I read Jennifer's post too!). Now I don't have to cause you did it for me! I agree with everything you said, ummm...especially the part about the tweezers. Cheers!!

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  36. Fabulous! I can totally relate to all of it but alas...I will be 62 ###!!!## this month. I sure look different in my head too and I have an encore for embarrassing kids but this time around it is my teenage granddaughter. Life is a hoot so enjoy. 47 is a great year.

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  37. Happy birthday, Lynne! Love your fabulous post! Although I would never have guessed your age, you look soooo much younger (no kidding).

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  38. 47 sounds a lot like 40 to me! So many excellent points (especially the trampoline one!)

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  39. Happy birthday chick. I'm a bit worried cos I can tick off all your list and I'm only 42!!!! Hope you get spoiled rotten! Jxo

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  40. Missed this yesterday - happy (belated) birthday
    another downside is the list gets longer as the years increase and it's really pants when the dreaded 'M' hits ;0)

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  41. Happy Birthday!! Once you hit 51 you need the 10x magnification mirror along with the tweezers!! LOL
    Have loads of fun & cake.
    Cheers
    Lush xox

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  42. Yep , you nailed it :). Happy 47th

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  43. Wobbly stomach?
    Did you buy one?

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  44. Love it, all so true! Especially the tweezers! I put a pair in my pocket every morning and have an extra pair at work in case I forget (memories and aging not being especially good bedfellows!).

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  45. I can soo relate. I'm 39. :)

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  46. Love it, all so true! Especially the tweezers! I put a pair in my pocket every morning and have an extra pair at work in case I forget (memories and aging not being especially good bedfellows!).

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  47. I ,oved this column and can tell you your 47 sounds a lot like my 45.x

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  48. Happy Birthday my friend. I have to say you sum up the 40s quite well!

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  49. My mum would have been 47 if she was still with us *tries to make you feel ancient*

    I'm actually tempted to write one of these myself but not sure what I would write that's half as entertaining as yours! No one warned me about the tweezers!

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  50. Happy Birthday! Thank you for the hilarious and poignant post...

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  51. Does that amazing sense of humor come with age too? I sure hope so!!! You were cracking me up. I wrote one about being 38 but after reading yours, I'm thinking the best is yet to come. WooHoo thanks for the giggles

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  52. Hear, hear! I, too, am 47... some of it can be dismaying, and yet, other bits are quite liberating, too. :)

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  53. Oh this was so fun to read!! Thank you for sharing yourself with us- always fun to know you a bit better. :) xo

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  54. I am 47 too... and you look mahvelous!

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  55. Priceless! At 44 I can relate with all you said especially point one!

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  56. You are adorable! Happy birthday! I am coming up on mine in less than two months--47 as well! Thanks for making it look so good! Seriously! :)

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  57. Ahh, so we're the same age (for a few more months, anyway!) All true - especially the tweezers bit. I'd like to add that 47 also means that I've got to be pretty selective about who I spend my time with and what I spend my time doing, because since I'm on the "back nine" there's no time for people and things that don't make me feel fabulously happy!! Less drama, more fun! Happy Birthday, friend :)

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  58. This is wonderfully entertaining and wonderfully full of wisdom. Lynne, I have ten years on you and I particularly relate to the looking in the mirror and feeling so much younger in my mind. Like, I'm really only thirty aren't I? Surgery in my forties fixed the sneezing en route to the bathroom issue and tweezers are my best friend also, although applying mascara without my specs on (how does one do that successfully) is my latest issue. Congratulations on your birthday, hope you had cake.

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  59. I agree with every single point !!!!!

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  60. What a sweet and lovely post, Lynne. I loved reading this. x

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  61. Very funny and very true (and not nearly as sickly as some of the other posts on this subject). I am 42 and am so with you on the tweezers and sneezing!

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  62. I was dying laughing at this. Oh thank you for once again putting humor into reality and somehow making me wish I was 47 instead of a newly minted 34 (horrors!).

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  63. Crap I'm going to get a full on beard at 47 because at 32 I already get surprised by a rouge facial hair or two!

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  64. WOW! 47 sounds a LOT like 61!!!!

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  65. Oh and Happy Birthday! I hope 47 is the best of all possible years for you!

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  66. Wow, I thought you were only about 37, so apparently 47 is all about ageing really well too :oD

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  67. Happy Birthday Lynn. I love being 47 too for all those reasons but especially the embarrassing the kids bit :)

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  68. Being 47 rocks! 1966 was a great year to be born. You made me laugh a lot with your list up there :)

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  69. Bring on 47. Less than a year to go, and after reading your post, I feel there is nothing to worry about!

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