I am going to celebrate my 30th birthday next week. This is a big step for me and I have to admit that I was not particularly impatient to see my 30’s coming. “I am going to cry” is what I answered to one of my friend when she asked me what I was going to do on my birthday. Just joking, but no need to say that I will not throw a party this year! And that is totally fine with me. All I want to celebrate is a nice bottle of wine, a good dinner (and a massive cake).
When I was a kid, I thought being 30 was like… being old. Well, here I am. Did I see that coming? No. I can tell you that time flies… and now I sound really old. Being in my 20s, I mostly felt like I had my whole life in front of me. I had time to find a “proper” job and build a career, a relationship, time to have kids. I used to think that by 30 years old I would have bought my own house, would be married, and having my first baby. Well, this is definitely not happening. No bitterness here! This is actually not what I want for now (and maybe it will never be). The thing is I did not feel any pressure from society to fill these boxes before. Now that I am getting older, it is as if people are expecting me to settle down. Another inconvenience: even if I am staying young in my head, my body doesn’t always follow. Let’s be honest: I do not handle a hangover (with grace) like I used to when I was 20.
On the brighter side, being 30 means I know what is important in life and I learned not to bother about small things. I know that time is precious. I know what I want or do not want anymore. I know how to appreciate people I meet along the way and that will not stay forever. I know that enjoying a piece of cake is much more important than checking my weight daily. I have learned to like my body, at least. So I am just going to celebrate my birthday in this weird lockdown atmosphere, hoping that the world will get better. Maybe humankind will finally wake up and do what it takes to save our planet. I will be grateful that the people that I love are healthy; that I am healthy, ready to live my next adventure. Because, as they say, age is just a number, right?
“The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.” -Hervey Allen
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