Happy & Healthy

WHY I embrace heading to my thirties

Now that I’m almost gearing up for my 28 birthday, it means I am well on my way to thirty. I have plenty of friends that have already celebrated turning a third decade and apart from the off bunch, most of them aren’t happy about it. Thirty. The dirty thirty. It’s an age tons of people dread since as Alphaville once sung: “Forever young, I want to be forever young.”

However, the older I get, the more I love it. I might say something entirely different once I reach that age that my body isn’t entirely fully functional anymore, but as long as everything works, you won’t hear me complaining. Growing old is a privilege and it’s something you should treasure rather than freak out about it. My dad once said to his doctor: “I am really getting old now, aren’t I?” to which she responded: “Be thankful for that.” And nothing could be more true.

I’m also grateful I’m no longer the confused sixteen year old or the eighteen year old who had no idea what she wanted to do with her life, or even that insecure twenty year old. I used to spend countless hours on chat sites talking to that one cute guy I was crushing on but too afraid to tell him. And when that one guy in college told me he just “wasn’t that into me”, I would feel as though my life had just ended when in fact, there are much worse things a person can go through than rejection. Plus, all the countless amount of idiotic choices I made career-wise; like being a crappy negotiator and overall just a big pushover.

”I used to spend countless hours on chat sites talking to that one cute guy I was crushing on”

Thank god all those days are over. Well, okay, maybe not entirely because you never stop learning, but I’m a lot more confident now than I was when I was eighteen. Wisdom comes with years of experience and that’s why I struggle trying to comprehend people’s reasonings for wanting to be a teen again because they felt as though back then life was easy and stress free. I guess it’s just a classic case of ’the grass is always  greener…’

So instead of whining about getting older, I suggest you start counting your blessings (#blessed) and the fact that you have the privilege of growing older. And while you’re at it, enjoy the hell out of all the things you learn along the way.