”A solid 60.”

That was her answer to me when I asked her to guess my age. Without hesitation and with all the confidence of a young twenty something, she was certain in her guess. And if her guess was offered up to me in the last week, I would have been impressed.

But it wasn’t. The conversation in question happened two years ago. I was 58 at the time. She was embarrassed, and we’ve all been laughing about it ever since.

Today, though…

I am a solid 60. Today is my birthday, and I have the shirt to prove it.

So, what does that mean? How does that define? What does a #solid60 look like … live like?

I have a few thoughts.

Firstly, being a #solid60 has less to do with the density of a sixty-year-old body and more to do with a rich accumulation of life experiences. Layers of a life are built over decades, a thickness that cannot be gained in brevity. Certainly, a moment in time can profoundly impact the trajectory of one’s path. But one moment added to another moment over the course of 60 years equals a solid repository of witness that isn’t always easily dissected (or appreciated) by a curious world.

I am the sum total of my moments. When you meet me, you get them all – a solid package of 60 years’ worth of moments. Today I have the privilege of reflecting on my collection therein. So do you. No matter your age, today you’re building toward something solid. The fullness of who you are and who you are becoming anchors its growth in the reality of your accumulated moments.

If solid is what you’re after, then live your moments well; build with intention and in expectation.

Secondly, being a #solid60 has less to do with what I have done to reach this milestone and everything to do with what God has done. If accumulated moments are the ingredients of a solid life, then heaven’s grace is the glue that holds them all together. Dissect any portion of my story and you will find the free and flowing grace of God. It bleeds onto every page of my witness. Without God’s elaborate grace over me, there would be nothing solid to kick at, no lasting substance to hold. Just a life of vapor that has no foundational value and one that quickly fades into nothingness.

If solid is what you’re after, then invite God into your story. Allow his grace to flow into and throughout all your moments so that they might be solidified into a monument of eternal glory that points others toward home.

Thirdly, being a #solid60 has less to do with the moments that have been lived to date and much more to do with the moments that are to come. At sixty, I am privileged to still know the active love and witness of my parents. All my life, from my beginning days on an Easter Sunday morning until this day, my 60th birthday, my dad has held firmly to the truth that “The best is yet to be.” For several years now, he’s been unable to articulate those words to me; still and yet, every time I’m with him, I know that daddy is anchored there in that place of “best.” We see through a glass dimly; he is moving ever closer to beholding perfectly what his soul is longing for. And I know … solidly know … what he knows.

Every single moment prior to this one – the strong accumulation and development of a solid life – is pulling us forward toward our forever with Jesus. A solid life is never solely about the “now.” Instead, a solid life always includes the “then.”

If solid is what you’re after, keep your “then” in mind.

Lastly (as an added bonus and because I could go on and on, but there always has to be a lastly), being a #solid60 has less to do with sadness and much more to do with the gladness of heart. Another gem I received from daddy is his sense of humor. He told me to always keep laughter as a part of my story. It has served me well. Really well. In the worst of times, I can always laugh; others seem to laugh when I’m around (like two years ago, when we all had a good chuckle about my being a #solid60).

If accumulated moments, God’s grace, and a focus on forever are the makings of a solid life, then the bonus of laughter sprinkled within is like the hot fudge on top of a favorite scoop of ice cream … sweet and satisfying.

If solid is what you’re after, keep laughing.

And so, if you see me today or any day in the next year and you’re wondering about my age,

I’m a #solid60.

Shaped by my moments.
Laced with grace.
Focused on forever.
Laughing as I go.

Keep it solid, friends. Thanks for writing your lines into my story. I’ll see you in the next chapter. As always…

Peace for the journey,