What do you do when birthdays just mean

[hyphenate]

another year, another lost opportunity, another sign you're just getting older and not better?

No real angst, but a resignation that your face is not that of a fresh young adult anymore, that half the "sexy idols" nowadays are young enough to be your own children, that the other half are old enough to be your own father, and that what have you got to show for all the days of your life?

This will be number 48 coming up, and there doesn't seem to be much in my life to be so much proud of as having the impression on me that I haven't accomplished what I set out to do, nearly 30 years ago. I didn't marry, didn't have kids, didn't finish my education as I wanted to, and in fact often took the easy road instead of that which lead to something more defining.

I don't want pity or anything, I just want to comiserate. I know I'm not alone, and I know this is typically considered some sort of "mid-life crisis" but how do you deal with it? And especially how do you deal with it when your health isn't all that great and your pocketbook is empty?

Just curious to know if this is a moment that will pass, and if it is, when the hell will I get over it?