There are milestones in life.

There is birth and of course a first birthday. Turning five years old is cool because you get to use all five fingers on your hand to show your age. When you turn 10, you get to use both hands.

Turning 13 is a big deal because, up to this point, all you have ever wanted is to be is a teenager.

I would say the first day of high school is noteworthy and, for us girls, turning 16 can be special — sweet 16.

Somewhere in this time frame you also become old enough and hopefully capable enough to acquire a driver’s license.

This milestone I might add goes both ways with teens and parents. As a parent, up to this point, you pretty much knew where your child would be, but when they reach the age to be old enough to get behind the steering wheel of a car, life changes as you know it. Worry now becomes second nature.

Then there are momentous birthdays when turning 18 and 21 where you become old enough to vote and officially adulthood begins, respectively. I have been told, however, that boys “aren’t full up” until they are 30.

After being the mother of a son, I would totally agree.

And speaking of turning 30, I remember how I cried on my 30th birthday because I thought, “now I am old.” Wasn’t I naïve?

Other major life events for me have certainly included high school and college graduations, marriage, the birth of children and a whole host of special occasions celebrating family and friends.

In looking back over my life, I can see that I have experienced many milestones that have included happy times as well as not-so-happy times. That’s just life.

But in thinking about all these milestones, I think I have come to yet another juncture.

I have passed the halfway point of life. I have come to a place where I have lived more of my life on the back end than I have left on the front end.

This, for me, is a milestone because I have come to a place where I want to fixate and focus on making the most of the years I have left on this earth.

I know, I know, I know, that no one knows exactly when their life will expire, but when you are my age you do know, like I said, that you are closer to the end than the beginning.

This is in no way meant to sound morbid. Heaven forbid I become a Debbie downer. I am just making the point that the time is NOW to live intentionally.

I would imagine there are some people that don’t wait until my age to live life to the fullest and some, I am sure, who will procrastinate even longer than me in grabbing life by the horns.

But whenever you decide to seize the day, remember: You have reached a milestone. A very important milestone.

Terri Cowart Frazier writes features for The Vicksburg Post. She can be reached at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.