Positive things about your 50s

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I'm 48 and recently have read or have been told so many things that are/could be challenging in your 50s. I would really like to hear the best things. Are there any?? It seems a very very challenging decade. (Menopause, ED, slower metabolism and weight gain, hair loss, health of own parents, managing teen behaviours, being more tired, less likely to be promoted/costing too much for same role as younger peers). So what's been the best things about your 50s?

Better car insurance
Mortgage paid off
Not caring "what other people think"
Kids now independent and more time to myself
Holidays with Just the 2 of us so we can do what we like -no whinging from teenagers on a 15 mile hike (although still miss them at times)
Great family times when we do get together
Kids leaving home has given them a greater appreciation of everything we did for them
Tea in bed at the weekends instead of racing out for swimming lessons, football etc
More time for our own hobbies
Not so long to wait for retirement!

I look back on my 50s as a golden era 😁

As Puddleglum said +

Competence and capability - knowing stuff, been there seen it; decision making quicker
Old enough to know 'old' things like cooking, mending, sewing, gardening but young enough to appreciate 'new' things like internet, Alexa, packing cubes
More disposable income
Really start appreciating quality over quantity
Time to explore interests and hobbies
That pension you put £4 into in 1979 is actually now worth something
No longer in awe of people in 'authority' like medical professionals and solicitors because they are clearly just kids
Know exactly what works for you in bed

I wouldn't swop my 50s for my 20s or my 30s.

60s are a bit less fun, so do enjoy your 50s everyone.

This is great. Thanks

I’m 50 in a few months and am determined to embrace it so it’s good to see the positives!

Not giving a flying fuck - about lots of things.

No more periods - oh, the freedom!

Not caring what people think of you anymore

Not being dead

Feeling at home with myself. I don't go out if I don't want to, more of my time is mine. I don't care much what others think of me.
I finally had time to take up a new hobby (classical guitar) and spent hours on it.
3/4 of my children are independent, and fun to be around (one has special needs so is still dependent on us)
I appreciate my own family more..I make more effort to spend time with my Mum knowing that our time together will one day end.
My body still works and I try to take care of it.
50+ is good!

Not giving a monkeys what people think
Having teenagers who you can chat with
Being able to enjoy a lie in and not feeling guilty

Things that used to bother me just don't any more.

Bad hair day? Don't give a shit, we all get them and I've just got my hair back after chemo so I'm glad of any hair day quite frankly.

The willingness to challenge more. Things that I would have been nervous about bringing up before I am much more likely to now. Not in a stroppy way (usually), just more likely to stand up for something I believe in.

Enjoying solitude. I never used to.

I'm 57. I'm not tired, menopause was a breeze, and no weight gain as I'm pretty active. Did lose a bit of hair behind ears during menopause but its stopped now and is unnoticeable (I didn't even notice my hairdresser told me). I started going grey in my teens so nothing new there.
I'm confident in my opinions, do not care a jot what other people think (other than those I care about).
My parents passed away years ago and my teenagers are wonderful companions and are ambitious and caring and increasingly self sufficient (my son still can't seem to ever tidy up, though he does cook and iron). Both still school age.
The only thing is I do creak a bit more if I've been sitting or driving a long while - need a few seconds to stretch out! And I can look pretty tired by the end of the day.

Loving these opinions

Menopause is surprisingly ok and much easier than Peri.
I’m 50 and feel like this is going to be my best decade. I suspect that it gets harder after that. I still have a child at junior school so have the teenage years to look forward to again but I’m better prepared this time hopefully.

I’m finally able to lie in if I get the chance without feeling as though I’m lazy. Financially we’re better than ever and that’s lovely because it’s been a real struggle at times. Health wise there are a couple of things that could bite me on the bum in the future so I’m making sure I appreciate the here and now as much as possible. I’m pretty fit, active and slim and I will do anything I can to stop that changing. I love my husband more now than I did when we got together almost 3 decades ago snd count that as a real blessing.

The most important lesson I’ve learnt I think is to find something good in every day however small and insignificant it may be to others. I feel content with my life in a way I never did in say my twenties or thirties.

In short I like me now. I’m definitely not perfect and have some awful flaws but so it turns out does everyone. I’m a nice person, a good friend, wife and mother but there were many years when I wondered what I was doing wrong. That saying - everything that doesn’t kill you makes you stronger - I’m happy I’m very strong and now’s my chance to enjoy it a bit more.

Well, I'm 49 and it's slightly different for me as a single parent because I had so so much responsibility. I still do but now my kids are teens I can believe that one day (in my 50!) I'll get to go and do all the things I thought I'd like to do. I"m a very sociable person and it's always felt sad and a bit weird to me that as a single woman with kids I didn't fit in to any obvious group and so I've felt the last decade+ feeling excluded but I"m conquering those feelings now. Probably feeling more introverted but also braver to go out and do the things I decide to do without focusing on how it would look, that I am there on my OWN, oh the imaginary perceived shame!

I think as I age, I feel I can reject that single parent label more and more. I'm me. I'm a parent.

That was a box I was put in for years (I feel) and now it is either not relevant or easy to reject.

I am acknowledged as being the Venerable TSS.

I dispense wisdom.

I had DC younger so mine were both close to 30 when I hit 50 so no teens to worry about! So for me one of the main bonuses, more freedom, kicked in when I turned 40, maybe even earlier. Now I’m well established in this new way of living, so turning 50 didn’t change much. But it is nice to have more disposable income and time to yourself. I can go off somewhere at a moments notice if I want, and sometimes do. Periods haven’t stopped yet unfortunately but can’t wait until they do! As others have said, the whole not giving a fuck thing is wonderful! Now I don’t do anything I don’t want to do, I just please myself. My DC have grown into lovely adults and I enjoy spending time with them. No grandkids yet but my niece has a 1yr old and I love spending time with him. On the whole I just feel so much more relaxed and content in life.

According to all the above, I cannot be 50 (even though my birth certificate would beg to differ).

Periods - still got'em
Mortgage - only started this one five years ago, it'll take me to retirement
Child - he's only 10 and is disabled so he's around for many more years
Hobbies? Lie-ins? What are they?

I'm not yet 50 but my DH is nearing the end of his. I'm looking forward to it.
Our mortgage will be paid off soon and our DC will all be independent. We can holiday whenever and wherever we want.
We are already GPs and that is absolutely fab.
Our social life is good, we have long term friends and really enjoy what we choose to do, equally enjoy staying in.
Health permitting, it should be a good decade.