by Celeste Lindell of Average Jane

Because I have no children and thus will never be a grandmother, it seems appropriate that I got a lot of my sterotypically grandmotherly behavior out of the way when I was a teenager.

I distinctly remember a visit from my best friend spent sitting side by side, quietly embroidering pillowcases. Back then, I also baked a lot of cookies, crocheted dish cloths, and once spent an entire day pitting cherries from our backyard tree and making dozens of jars of cherry preserves without being asked to do so.

With that stuff long out of the way, I now have the urge to do the wild and fun things I skipped over at the time. Anything to jazz up the mundane routine.

I want to travel, meet new people, and see big cities, ancient ruins and natural wonders. I want to explore the interesting parts of my own city and places nearby. I’m eager to develop new skills and talents in fields that I’d never even considered before. Just once, I’d like to skydive. And I’m still mulling over the tattoo that I almost got when I turned 40.

I think it’s extremely important to cultivate a sense of adventure in your life at any age. I notice that my husband, who is 10 years older than I am, has become reticent about trying new things and moving out of his ever-narrowing comfort zone. I feel it’s my job to keep reminding him how much fun it can be to seek out life’s surprises.

That’s the difference between living and being alive, don’t you think?