Sometimes, it’s hard to understand why so many people become sad on their birthdays, as if becoming one year older is such a terrible thing. I mean, consider the alternative, which is not making it to see your next birthday.

Which is why it’s refreshing to see people embrace their age and celebrate getting older, like Mariska Hargitay, who turned 50 this week.

“The Law & Order: SVU” actress isn’t hiding the fact that she turned the big 5-0 and she took to her Instagram page to let everyone know how excited she is about it.

One photo shows Hargitay sporting a cool looking t-shirt that says “Fifty’s Nifty,” and she wrote the words “Bring it” along with the posted photo, which suggests she’s not only celebrating a milestone, she wants people to how many years it took to get there.

Then there were the balloons and the flowers given to her by her friends, family members and colleagues. One photo shows a completely redecorated dressing room, all decked out in red, with balloons everywhere. Another photo shows gold and black balloons covering the ceiling of what looks to be a restaurant or lounge, and based on Hargitay’s message, the decorations and party came as a complete shock to her, as she wrote: “Then I came downstairs,” which shows she was totally caught off guard by it all.

And the surprises kept coming. The lovely actress also shared a photo of flowers being brought to her, which came from some of her “Law & Order: SVU” crew members. “Then I got to work,” she wrote. “From the awesome camera dept! Love you guys.”

Based on the photos, her previous interviews and her overall public person, it’s easy to tell that Hargitay has a very positive attitude about life, which is also evident from the personal description she uses on her Instagram page. “Joyful heartin, laugh lovin, perp bustin, ocean worshippin, green drinkin, baby lovin mama.”

Now if only some of us can adopt some of that positive attitude as well. Especially as we get older.

Image via YouTube