Birthday Number 79

Another Chapter in the Life of Malinda Miles ends and a new one begins!

Yesterday was incredible, and I hardly know where to begin. I took no pictures, so I thank God for the people who did and shared them with me. Their kindness means more than they know.

I am officially seventy-nine, and I am still amazed at how quickly my years have moved. One day, I was a young girl counting down to twenty-one, and the next, I was a wife, a mother of four, and moving through life with all of its noise, demands, beauty, and challenges.

Then came that dark season when my mother died, and the world closed in around me. I kept going, I stayed involved, and I pushed through with a strength I did not always understand. That time in my life shaped me in ways that still echo today.

Eighteen years slipped by, and suddenly, I was sixty-five with Social Security, Medicare, and a long list of memories that made me wonder where the time had gone. And now, here I am at seventy-nine, laughing at myself because some days I feel like I am still sleepwalking. There is still so much I want to do, so much I feel called to do.

One of my high school teachers kept a clock above her desk with a sign that read, "Time will pass, will you?" That question has followed me through every season of my life. Time does not slow down, and each day I must answer for myself, "Will I?" Will I grow? Will I matter? Will my life make someone else's lighter, better, stronger? Will I leave behind something worth remembering? What else should I be doing? What is still required of me? Those questions continue to guide me.

For years, during my birthday month, I would choose a single word to push me into my next chapter. This year, no one word is enough, so I am selecting a motto instead. "PAYING IT FORWARD" will carry me until this time next year, 2026.

November always brings a change in the air. Nature slows down, gathers itself, and prepares for what comes next. It reminds me to pause, to look at where I am, to be honest about where I am going, and to choose how I want to walk the road ahead.

As I step into this new year of my life, I am choosing to move with intention, with gratitude, and with a heart willing to give more than it takes. I want to spend this next chapter paying it forward, lifting others, and making room for growth wherever it is needed.

And if you feel called, I welcome you to walk with me, not as followers, but as companions on the journey. Let us do the good we can, while we can, for as long as we can. Let us be light in places that need it.

Thank you to everyone who has already poured love, joy, and kindness into my birthday month. You have reminded me that I am not walking this journey alone, and for that, I am deeply grateful.

Thank you for all of the beauty that you have brought into my life!