My golden retriever will turn six years old this week. That’s typically middle-aged in dog years. In light of his entering this stage of life, Tebow would like to share a few things about getting older.

• Chasing bunnies is not all it’s cracked up to be. Lizards? Maybe.
• Eating is still a priority that transcends all else.
• Waking up in the morning takes a lot longer.
• Going to bed is the best activity of the day, besides eating.

I’m a tad older than Tebow, even taking into account the fuzzy math for calculating a dog’s age. Over the last few years, I’ve reached the same conclusions as he has, plus a few more. I have the usual aches and pains common to most people my age and occasionally wake up with a new one—what my husband calls “the pain du jour.” It’s getting harder to read menus and newspapers, although I’m convinced there’s a conspiracy afoot to make the type smaller. And I often find myself asking “What?” and turning up the volume on the television.

On the other hand, many things that used to be important don’t seem to matter anymore. I don’t worry so much about putting on makeup to go to the store or making sure I’m not wearing black shoes and carrying a brown purse. I also don’t feel like I have to have everything perfect. My house doesn’t have to be clean, dinner doesn’t have to be on time, and holidays—well, they’ve never been normal in our house. It feels good to be happy with who I am and where I’m at in life. Even if I am middle-aged.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, middle age is the period of life from 45-64. I guess that means I’ve been middle-aged for a while and didn’t even know it. That’s probably a good thing. A recent Huffington Post article claims that middle age is not a “numerical milestone,” but a “state of mind.”* Does that mean if I don’t think I’m middle-aged, then I’m not? Either way, the signs can no longer be ignored, forcing me to admit I’ve arrived at that formidable stage of life. Surprisingly, it’s not so bad.

*“25 Surefire Signs You’ve Finally Hit Middle Age” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/signs-of-middle-age_n_5234201.html