On the eve of my birthday, I've been doing a lot of
thinking. Mostly I've been thinking about getting older, what this means, that it’s beautiful, how many people don’t get to experience aging, and then considering
life and how precious it actually is. Our family recently got some news regarding
mortality and it was a big wake up call (I won't go into details, as I would
like privacy respected) but it's really made me do some thinking. As much as we
sort of dread age and getting on in years, how often to people stop and think
what a beautiful privilege it is?
Tomorrow I'm only turning 26, but I've been finding more and more
fine lines and grey hairs. At first this scared me, it made me feel old and
miss my youth, but now I think, actually this is great! I love my life and the
people in it. I am not a kid anymore. I don't have to feel like “the youngest
child” anymore. I'm not inferior for being younger than my siblings because actually, I don't
feel all that young anymore. I am sorting the adult parts of my life out and
things I never thought I'd enjoy, I enjoy. Sure I wish I had more money or I
saw my family more, but you know what? I have a roof over my head and four
siblings and two parents who would move mountains for me, and I would do the
same for them. I have a job I actually like and a partner who is my absolute perfect
match. These things are worth smiling about. They’re worth creating deeper
wrinkles for. This is life; and while we won't always be around, how lucky we are
to be here now. Tomorrow is just another
birthday for me, but I hope I am lucky enough in life to have 80 more birthdays, and that someday I'll be an old wrinkled lady with a head of grey hair and a heart full from a lifetime
of love. And you know, if I don't make it to 106, then at least I've lived at all.
So, to getting older! To living the life you're given during
the timeline you've got. To getting older and wiser and moving further away
from the face and body you grew up with. Nothing is constant but change and our
bodies and minds are in flux just like the rest of the world. We are not
invincible and that is okay.
Just be good, be well, be grateful, and be loved.
- Elizabeth
- Elizabeth
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| Self portrait, age 26. |
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