At a dinner I attended several years ago, I sat next to a vibrant woman who was regaling us with the fabulous 50th birthday celebration she had shared with her closest female friends. Rather than receiving gifts and being the guest of honor at a traditional birthday party, she decided to turn the tables and treat her friends. She invited them as her guests on a long weekend at a luxurious chalet in the Swiss Alps, where they enjoyed skiing, dining on gourmet meals and fine wines, and catching up on each other's lives. They had such a wonderful time, several of them extended the visit for another week.

I was still a few years away from 50 at the time, but that dinner conversation made me feel like I had something great to look forward to. Whimsical flights to an Alpine resort were well beyond my means, but I did have a great celebration with some long-time friends to commemorate my first half-century. We talked about how our lives compared to our youthful hopes and plans, and what we wanted to be "when we grew up."

Some say life begins at 40; some even say it's just beginning at 50. I wouldn't go that far. My life really began to come together at about 30, but when I look back to my earlier years, I know I wouldn't want to go back to all the insecurities and struggles of my youth.

Yes, there's definitely life after 50 - and even after 60. Though some people downplay their birthdays, and take them more for granted as they get older, I regard each succeeding birthday in this second half-century of my life as more precious. Gifts and parties aren't important, but I take time around each birthday to reflect on what I've learned in all my years on earth, and where my life is heading - what I've accomplished and what remains ahead.

A good friend of mine recently decided, after a long career as a lawyer, that she'd had enough of dealing with other people's problems and wanted to put her considerable energies into something more positive and creative. At the age of 65, she was ready to embark on a whole new career. Another friend, after losing her husband of many years, took up ballroom dancing as a way of keeping in shape. In her 60s, she found herself traveling around the country in amateur competitions and creating a new network of friends.

Coming to the end of your middle years - children grown and out on their own, your working life coming to an end - can be scary, but also exciting. It can be a time for building a new life for yourself, founded on all your accumulated knowledge, wisdom, and experience. I always envied the retired volunteers I met when I was involved in a support group for a local chamber music orchestra. Many of them lived in center city and served as docents for the art museums and ushers for the symphony orchestra and regional theaters - a great way to enjoy a rich cultural life on a very low budget. Volunteerism can open up many opportunities to be involved in your community, find new friends, and stay active in a meaningful way.

I like to think of birthdays as a day to celebrate your existence but also to take stock in your progress through life. They are like your very personal New Year's Day, when you can review the past and set your course for the coming year. They're also a time to celebrate friendships, family, and those things in your life that are most important - a time for reigniting your passions and renewing yourself.

After 60, I may be over the hill, but the view looks pretty good from this side.

Learn more about this author, Dorothy Hoffman.
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