I kicked against the traces as I turned forty - for a long time I wore a badge that said "39 and holding". When it came to 50 in January I shrugged and resigned myself to it. At 40 I was frantically doing step aerobics 6 times a week. Now I'm looking forward to a yoga class! It doesn't help when for the last year the kids have been thrusting every flyer for SAGA holidays/insurance etc at me, and saying I was old enough. Now they're reminding me I'm 51 quite soon. And I don't care any more. It'll be their inheritance that gets spent if I go off on all these over 50s jaunts!

This is the time of your life when usually the kids are fairly independent (if you have any), or you have hopefully got where you are going in your work and the pressure to succeed can be less. If you are in that position you then have time for yourself, and probably time ahead to spend while you are still relatively active. Enjoy.

Andrea