On celebrating myself

Today, I turn 24. It's an occasion about which I am wholeheartedly excited, one that I think deserves recognition. Maybe it's selfish and childish, but I'm a firm believer that birthdays are always cause for celebration, great and glorious, no matter the milestone.

Recently, a friend of mine turned 25, and I overheard her complaining about her age. I said she was lucky she was to be turning 25, to which she responded, You're right. I could be turning 30!

What?

I think birthdays are a source of unnecessary stress, particularly for women. We live in a culture that's obsessed with keeping us young, not only in our looks but in our hearts as well. But to be honest, I don't think there's anything wrong with growing up and getting old. To be honest, I think it's a privilege and an honor.

Being a kid was fun. Sometimes I miss being carefree. Sometimes the thought of adult life, of paying bills and loans and having a career are incredibly daunting and I want them to stop. But I wouldn't trade them in for anything, least of all adolescence. I like growing up. I like the added responsibilities and the new freedoms that come with them. I think that it's necessary for kids to enjoy their youth, to celebrate their childishness.

But I think it's good to grow up, too. It's good to become something more.

There are a lot of parents who wish their children had made the milestone I'm about to make. There are a lot of young people who know they likely won't ever turn 24, and they wish they could. 24 is young. Sure, it's the first year of my mid-twenties, but it is oh-so-young! I may sometimes find grey hairs (in my eyebrows, of all places) or notice that my face and body don't look quite like they did ten years ago, but I don't think for one second that I'm old yet. I'm nowhere near it.

And I seriously hope I get to be. Covered in wrinkles, grey from my roots to my tips, and fully old, I hope I get there. I hope by the time I do, old won't sound like an insult anymore. I hope the women around me won't be perpetually celebrating their 21st birthdays. I hope I will be happy and healthy and delighting in my old-ness.

So here's to 24. The celebrations have been good and the gifts have been nice, but even without either, I would be happy. My life has been an great adventure, especially recently, and I'm ready for whatever 24 will bring my way.