Oprah Winfrey shares what she did on her 70th birthday, instead of a ‘big, special event’

Oprah Winfrey says she feels “blessed” to have reached her 70th birthday.

The media mogul, who celebrated the milestone birthday Jan. 29, reflected on what she has learned over the past seven decades of life, and the wisdom she is taking into the next phase, in a letter published on Oprah Daily.

“Getting older when you have the means to take care of yourself is a gift to be treasured,” she wrote. “No day is promised to any of us. So to reach this major milestone feels like grace in action.”

Winfrey shared that when she turned 50, she “wrote that on every birthday, you decide whether to mark it as the end of your greatest days or the beginning of your finest hour.”

“This still rings true for me — I try to start each day rejoicing that I’m still here, ready to start anew,” she wrote.

Winfrey's word for the coming year is “praise,” which goes hand in hand with appreciating every moment of life.

“I begin with praise and end with gratitude,” she wrote. “That’s my formula for a life that reciprocates in abundance and beauty.”

Winfrey shared that she had been feeling pressure from friends to plan a "big, special" event like a "dinner, a party or luncheon — or to go somewhere like a spa, a hike, a resort, or to meditate in Nepal."

In the end, she said, it felt most meaningful for her to simply reflect and look back on her years thus far.

She said she has been “going through old journals, photos, memory boxes, feasting, savoring, and marveling at the discovery, pain, joy, and wonder of 70 years of growing into the woman I am.”

She also said that looking through these memories reminded her that “everything passes” and that “if you don’t write down the specific pain or heartache, you won’t even remember it. Those of you in my age range know this to be true.”

Winfrey concluded her essay with a reflection on “the poignancy of time passing.”

“Seventy resonates, letting you know for sure that there are not as many years remaining as you’ve already consumed,” she wrote. “I take great satisfaction in accepting that regardless of how many more suns are left — the rising each time has been worth it.”

Many people took to the comments to share how Winfrey’s essay had resonated with their own experiences of aging.

“Beautifully said. This year I turned 80 and friends asked how I was going to celebrate that special day,” one person wrote. “I chose to reflect and be grateful for where I am at this stage of life."

“Exactly! Need nothing more,” read a reply from Winfrey’s verified account in the comments.

Winfrey also appeared to respond directly to a fan who wished her “great health, more joy, peace and happiness.”

“Health is EVERYTHING!” her verified account replied.Winfrey also celebrated her milestone birthday with a video on Instagram.

The video, set to the Jill Scott song “Golden,” showed Winfrey jogging along a sunny beach with what appeared to be one of her beloved dogs in tow.

“Celebrating 70 with a run on the beach. #healthisthebestgift,” she wrote in the caption. “Thank you for all the birthday love.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com