Thanksgiving is a special time of year where family and close friends come together for a thanksgiving dinner. We exchange best wishes and talk about what we are thankful for from the past year and, sometimes, through our lifetimes. The things that I am most thankful for are my 67th birthday and the 10 lessons (at least) I have learned over the years.

1. It’s ok to sleep in. There are no more deadlines that propel me out of bed into the shower in the car and off to work. For a while, I felt guilty that I stayed up late and slept in late. Now I realize that there is only one person who cares about how late I sleep. That one person is I.

2. It’s ok to do nothing. This has been a big stumbling block. All my life I have stayed busy. Work, hobbies, dates, parties, dinners … I was always doing something. Now I have days when all I do is a little writing and some crossword puzzles. I find I have time on my hands and get antsy when I’m not doing anything. The biggest lesson I have learned that it is OK just to do nothing.

3. At any age, life still goes on. Life does not stop at 65, or in my case 67; it still goes on. Each day brings something new or at least a problem or something that needs to be worked on or a decision made. As long as life goes on and you go on with life. Life will always be a challenge.

4. It’s ok to have breakfast at lunch, lunch at dinner and dinner at breakfast. Except for a dietitian, who cares what you eat and when you eat it.

5. Growing a white beard does not make you older than you are. Since I have grown my white beard, which I’ve done for a part in a play, I look in the mirror and think how old I’ve gotten but it’s not the case. I’m still moving and life is moving on.

6. Time does indeed go faster. Just yesterday was June 1. It is true as you get older time moves on. It seems like just yesterday that we celebrated a new year and here we are today just a month and a half until we celebrate another new year. If you think you have a problem that can’t be solved, just give it a month and you’ll wonder what problem was that you were worried about.

7. Old movies are still great movies. I looked at “Giant” the other night, and I still felt like the rebel that James Dean portrayed. Some old movies never get old.

8. You are never too old to learn new things. I have learned how to use Facebook. The computer has been a learning tool. Even though most of us don’t realize it, we learn something new almost every day. I learned this last Saturday that Llama’s have long eyelashes.

9. You still have the same feelings and emotions that you felt when you were younger. When I was younger, I used to wonder what old people were feeling and if they felt as old as they look. I now can say that I look at younger people and wonder if they are as old as they look.

10. Lastly, I have learned that life, with all its ups and downs, is still a challenge but most of all it’s still fun.

The holidays are upon us. I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Oh, and enjoy the leftover turkey.