Why is turning 50 so much harder than 30 or 40 was?

I'll be 72 in January. When I turned 25, I freaked out: a quarter of a century! 30 was also difficult. 40, 50, 60, and 70 -- not so much. We're given so many years and we have no control over the length of time allocated to it; all we can do is use it wisely. I got my first Master's degree at the age of 36, and my second one at 56. I'm still learning, and try not to worry about how much time I have left.

A friend's son died in a hiking accident last spring; he was in his 20s, and I'd known him since he was 4. He loved life, and was doing what he loved when he was taken from his family. For whatever reason, I've lived longer than my parents and one of my sisters. I try to plan as though I'm going to live to over 100, and live each day as if it's my last -- because ultimately that's all we really have -- today -- yesterday's gone forever, and tomorrow is yet to come.