Halftime {Making Sense of the Big 5-0}

My next birthday is a big one. Like a seriously BIG one.

As we age, I think that we begin to reflect on our life. Recently I was talking to my husband about this whole age thing. For the record, he is OLDER than me and is a few years past the BIG one.

He shared with me a book he read decades ago, Halftime: Changing your Game Plan from Success to Significance by Bob Buford. When he read it, he was early in his career and it was a good book but he had been thinking about it lately.

Basically, the gist is, if your life is at halftime, what would you want to do differently in the second half? What in the first half of your life do you want to continue to do and then what changes do you want to make?

So let’s just say I am at my halftime. 

If I plan on living 49 more years… how do I want to change so that my second half is a game to remember? To say that this has been a question on my mind since we talked about the book would be an understatement. Then my sweet husband found a copy of the book, copyright 1994, in his office and brought it home to me.

I’ve picked it up a few times and read a few chapters. It’s a good and easy read, but a hard read; I don’t think I want to come to grips that my life is half over.

I’ve had a second chance at this parenting thing with having two grown sons and now raising two little sons with my second husband. Many second chances for this mom and so much still to learn. I still ponder what can I do differently in the second half.

I’ve watched many basketball games in my time. From Upward games, Dayton Metro games, Cincinnati Angels games, and even in the big arena at the University of Louisville and the University of Indianapolis where our sweet girl played ball. One thing always stood out to me at those games. Regardless of the score, halftime was a big deal.

The coach gathers the players around and either yells at them to get their act together or encourages them to not give up in the second half and play hard.  Player line-ups might be changed or position changed, but after the buzzer, they go out and play.

Are you at halftime? Learn from the first half, play stronger in the second half, but keep playing; you’ve got a second-half waiting for you to conquer.