Wednesday, April 10, 2013

29

It feels like just yesterday, I was in my early 20's thinking about how much life I had in front of me. How many new experiences there were yet to come. How many major life milestones were almost within my reach. I had no idea where I would be going and only a faint idea of what could be ahead was outlined in my mind, but it was exciting. 

Tonight I am sitting here just minutes away (15 to be exact) from turning 29. I should be in bed, as my children's unpredictable sleeping habits will most certainly wreck havoc on me tomorrow, but I can't sleep. I just want to sit and watch the clock tick down the last minutes of me being 28. 

I know that 30 is typically the big one and I'm sure I'll be somewhat melancholy then too, but I am certain that next year will be full of thinking about what lies ahead. This year is about saying the long goodbye. It's about saying adios to my youth. It's confronting the fact that I am no longer "young" and am on somewhat of a downward slope of adulthood, increased responsibilities and age. 

I remember at 23, I bought my first anti-aging cream. I had read somewhere that 25 was when you should start your anti-aging regime and I felt hopeful. I was determined to get a head start. A month ago, I found myself sitting at a beauty counter staring into a face I no longer recognized. It felt like just yesterday, I was a teenager sitting at that same makeup counter trying to figure out how to mask my freckles and acne. Now here I was, a confident adult ready to get a barely there look that was just a touch more moisturizing for my drying skin. A makeup lady had caked on what was supposedly the "light weight" foundation and deemed me beautiful and yet, all I could see were the lines around my eyes and mouth that I had never noticed. 

How long had these been there?

Had people noticed?

Oh my God. I am old. This is it. This is the beginning of the end. 

Holy shit. Is this really a more beautiful me than when I walked in??

And to think I had just been worried about my flaky skin. 

I didn't buy the make-up. I did however run out and buy a new skin care regime. One that promised to fix what was already broken and one that promised to create "optical illusions". 

In the back of my mind I know that none of this stuff will work. I'll spend gobs of money trying to hide the extra years on my face so I can pretend to be something that I no longer am. Between my Spanx, my hair dye and my face cream I have become an optical illusion of myself. What once was will never be again. 

I've always had trouble with closing a chapter. And this chapter is/was a big one. I could tell you all the wonderful things that happened in this past decade and all the many things I have to look forward to (and believe me...I know my 30's are going to be great), but for now I just want to pause and reflect. I want to mourn my youth.

Here's to being on the verge of 30, a goodbye to my youth and a soon to be hello to a new decade. Happy birthday to me. Wrinkles and all.

5 comments :

  1. Happy birthday friend! We'll have to do something to celebrate when we see each other again. It is sad to say goodbye to your 20's...b/c it was your youth as you said. The 30's aren't too bad so far...you know except having to find out how to hide those new wrinkles! Happy birthday again!

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  2. Happy birthday! My take on birthdays, no matter which one, is to celebrate it and be thankful - because the opposite of not having a birthday...well...that would really suck!

    "“Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.” - Mark Twain.

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  3. Happy Birthday! I'm currently nursing a sprained ankle due to my beginning running at THIRTY-FIVE. That's old. And yet? I still love love love my birthday. I hope yours brings you many smiles.

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  4. Happy birthday! While you crack me up...I secretly feel the exact same way:)

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  5. Oh sweet friend you are by no means old and ending life ;) I hope your birthday was fabulous and all of your boys spoiled you. Happy belated birthday!!

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