By Nancy Virden (c)2021

It is a BIG one! Today I turn sixty, an age I used to believe was old. It is not.

Once I feared life. Aging only meant more life. At forty-nine I tried to not reach fifty. So much has changed since that terrible time; for one, there is no more fear.

Life has played out backward for me. As a child in survival mode, tiredness hit very early. Thirty-five years of a loveless marriage almost wore off any joy that may have been left. Self-destruction played a role too in sapping my energy. Nonetheless, the past has been addressed in therapy and with God. It does not hurt anymore.

At fifty-three I first realized what love is and how much of it God pours out on this daughter. Languishing, old wishes were finally turned instead to enjoying the present. My home and immediate sphere were free for the first time of those who would cause me harm. Such relief is indescribable.

You can see why 60 is the new 22. I feel like a fresh college graduate, eager to forge a future and make as much difference as possible. Having walked side by side with fear for so long, eagerness and hope fill that space.

In two weeks, training begins to become an Ohio Certified Peer Recovery Supporter for mental health. God is not through with me as life takes yet another giant leap forward. Sixty is not nearly the beginning of the end I used to think it was. I am a walking testimony to the fact it is never too late to turn one’s life around, to start over, or to dream.

Happy birthday to all the re-starters!

-COMMENTS WELCOME

Today’s Helpful Word

Isaiah 46:4

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” – God

Always the Fight Ministries (ATFM) has been displaying compassion for those fighting mental illness, addiction, or abuse since 2012. Nancy is the founder and voice of ATFM and openly shares her emotional resurrection from despair.

NOTE: I am not a doctor or a mental health professional, and speak only from personal experiences and observations. In no way is this website intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.

If you are feeling suicidal, or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or for a list of international suicide hotlines, go here.

If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S. or go to your nearest emergency room. In the EU call 112. (For other international emergency numbers, go here ). Hope and help are yours!

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