Three Decades and a Year
Thursday, April 21, 2016
“Hold still!”
my sister said, almost irritatingly.
I’m not one to hold still especially if
things are left unexplained but my sister sounded so serious and I, for the
life of me, did what she said as a strand of hair was gingerly plucked out from
my head.
“Here”
she said, grabbing my hand to firmly place a short gray strand of hair on my
palm.
“Awww” I
said in the most adoringly way I can muster, as if I was gazing at the wonder
of a newborn baby.
Officially a thirty-something
today, which I find both overwhelming and empowering, I feel like I’ve stepped
into a new realm of adulthood bringing with me, competence and fortitude as
well as battle scars from the past year that allows me to see the possibilities
even in the midst of uncertainties. This decade of life brought me to a new level
of understanding myself and finally learned to appreciate the person I’ve grown into.
Sure, there will be days I would still feel
like crap and taking what life hands me seems to be the only thing that I can
do. But, most days though, I’m glad I have this newfound confidence that
enables me to make conscious efforts in changing the things within my grasps
and courageously accept those that are beyond my control. I only have one life to
live after all, and to be able to claw out exactly how I want it to be, is a
gift.
And if you’re one of those people whose
first impulse is to go “tsk!” because I’m 31, not married, childless and unaccomplished based on your shallow standards – save your deep-seated concerns and worries for the orphans/world hunger/terrorism, will you? I am more than alright because, here, right now, is when life has truly taken off for me and I'm
overjoyed to know that my best years are exactly where they should be – right in front of
me.
Later that evening, I
took my short strand of gray hair and slipped it carefully in between the pages of one of my favorite passages in the Bible. Gray
hair, they say, is a crown of glory, and when mine becomes visible enough, you'll see me wear
it with pride.
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