35. Wow.
If you are 5+ years younger than me I imagine you are thinking something along the lines of 35- distant future. And if you are 10+ years older than me I imagine you are thinking something along the lines of 35- was just like yesterday. Me, I’m thinking 35- wow.
For the past month or so I have been marinating on reasons why I am glad to be turning 35 rather than 25. I want to share what I have come to realize upon my reflection. The very first is one that I have known for most of my adult life- I get better at life with age. I would like to think this is generally true for everybody- although, I am sure there are exceptions to the rule. But, as I get older I get more comfortable in my skin, I become more in tune with those I hold dear and less apologetic for being me. I get better at life with age.
The second reason I am glad to be turning 35 is that I have 35 years of perspective. At 25, I was just barely tipping the scales of a more mature outlook on life. I hope that each year brings a renewed sense of gratitude for perspective. By no means is every choice I make the wisest but the choices I make these days are generally more wise than those I was making 10 years ago. I am grateful for that.
I feel like the last year of my life has been a year of growth and there have been plenty growing pains. So, I am glad to be turning 35 and filing 34 in the books! Not to say my growing is by any means finished but, I am glad this year is finished and I get a fresh canvas. The morning of my 25th birthday my grandmother called to wish me a happy birthday and I will never forget that call because she talked about it being my quarter century birthday. It wasn’t until she put it that way that I realized it was a milestone birthday. I feel like 35 is a milestone birthday too- in the way that I am realizing that I am a for real adult. Kinda in that oh shit, I am an adult way. But, I am grateful for that realization.
I am glad to be turning 35 rather than 25 in that I am not quite as young and stupid anymore way. And the flip side to that coin is that I know better, so I must do better. I am glad I know better. I asked Bub this morning what might be some reasons I am glad to be turning 35 rather than 25 (I was just polling the audience) and he quickly pointed out that he was at a different point in his life at 35 than I am. We had been dating 2 months when he turned 35 and I just remember thinking then that he was old- After all, I was a tender 28 then. 🙂
Probably the biggest reason I am glad to be turning 35 is that I am much less concerned about the world around me and what the world thinks of me than I was at 25. I am much more concerned about my world these days than other people’s worlds. I am sure some would argue that I am past my prime, but I feel like I am just starting to get to my prime and that I have several decades of prime to go. That’s a very joyful feeling.
In ten years when I am turning 45 will the tide have changed and I be wishing to be turning 35 again? I would like to think not. I would like think that I will be glad to be turning 45 and 55 and 65 and so on. However, only time will tell. What about you? Are you glad to be your age rather than 10 or 20 or 30 years younger?
