M Audrey Hinchcliffe, CD celebrated her 70th birthday with a party on Friday, January 8, 2010 at Caymanas Golf & Country Club. Here’s her take on attaining the big 7-0.

Today, January 8, 2010 is a milestone of 70 years for which we are here to celebrate and give thanks for the good that is in my life and for being me. As you can see, “a dog of my age is no puppy” and “I have seen many breadfruit crops”. I do not know where these proverbs come from but I find them to be powerful tools for accepting myself.

Seventy years is a great stage in life, I love the prospect of old age — life is grand! As one Garson Kanin says, “Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.” So my advice to the youths: “Make sure the pleasures of youth don’t bring pain in your

old age.”

And for my female colleagues, there is an English proverb which says, The age of a woman don’t mean a

thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddle — in other words,

“the older the fiddle, the sweeter

the tune”.

And I have words for my menfolk, “Age does not really matter, unless you are cheese,” and to the world, at this stage of my life, there remains only work. I find it stimulating, rejuvenating, exciting and satisfying. I have no plans to retire, but when I do, I will be retiring to something, and not from something. And to my staff, “Yuh a guh tired fi si mi face.”

Colleagues, “Age is a matter of feeling, not of years” (says one George William Curtis), and Les Brown advises, “You are never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” So let us live our lives and forget about age.

I never gave much thought to the passing of the years except at age 40 when I freaked out, left New York for Berlin, Germany, in order to get away from the recognition, only to walk into a party hosted by my best friends and a classmate from LIU — Eric Edwards, who is here to celebrate with me. Eric, I had the worst panic attack but I eventually enjoyed myself; I remember well the sausages and beer.

Ages 50 and 60 were satisfying, but although it is said that 70 is the new 50, it is different; for one thing or another, there will be the downhill pace of ageing which will pick up considerably, eg health challenges: already I am diabetic and hypertensive, for which there are incredible successful treatments and other life-extending technologies (but as you can see, I do not need Botox). I am blessed to have good health insurance hence medical care is assured both locally and abroad and there are family experts in health care: my daughter Annette Hinchcliffe is a doctor — a paediatrician — but heck, once a man, twice a child. I have sisters who are nurses, they are retired and have time; my brother is a respiratory therapist, my niece Marilyn — a nurse — is a manager for a Home Healthcare Company, she will plan my care; her husband Dr Randy Edwards is a surgeon (most of my spare parts are already gone); and between Garth my son, Faith my niece and Leslie my son-in-law with business acumen, they will manage the resources. I have excellent attorneys who will ensure that they don’t waste a dime, and my wonderful grandchildren, Cameron and Matthew, just remember to visit me. Brothers and sisters, so long as we can move, we will get together periodically; our departed parents and two siblings will always be among us in spirit — even as duppies. I have no intention of making demands on the other young relatives, nieces, nephews, cousins, who have their own obligations. Family, friends, colleagues all, so long as I have my mental faculties and resources, you will be expected to respond positively when I invite you to the annual celebratory events either at home or elsewhere — so long as I am alive, I will always be celebrating something.

I do not worry about death as it is said to be nothing more than a series of preventable diseases gone untreated or treated badly. But there will always be doctors to tell you to “hold on, don’t give up hope, let us try one more thing”, then that one more thing will kill you — usually a round of chemotherapy, life-saving devices or CPR.

Colleagues, friends, family, all of us have self-interest in staying alive — ageing and death are all part of human life. There are worse things in the world to fear — taxes, crime and violence, poverty, war, racism and exploitation of others: when it comes right down to it, let us take personal responsibility for our contribution to these ills and do something for those who cannot do it for themselves. It is in this context that I ask not for personal gifts — I have more than I can use, enjoy and benefit from — but your contribution to the Foundation will help a few others to better themselves through education. My mother instilled in us that education is our bank book.

Thank Yous. To significant others, service providers, those who helped me to start and run a successful business, clients, those who keep me out of trouble, and give me a shoulder to cry on.

Let me close with a verse from the book Meditation for Women Who Do Too Much by Anne Wilson-Schaef — and it’s on Gratitude.

“Make a prayer acknowledging yourself as a vehicle of light, giving thanks for the good that has come that day, and an affirmation of intent to live in harmony with all your relations. I truly give thanks for the good that is in my life. I give thanks for being me.”

— Dhyani Ywahoo

Not only do I want to be in harmony with you but to celebrate the heck out of life — Errol, strike up the band! Let us dance,

dance, dance!