One day a close friend looked me straight in the eye and said,
Youre not that age any more!
At first I didnt quite catch what she meant.
Sorry, what does that even mean? I asked.
She answered as if the answer were obvious:
You know its no longer the time for bright dresses, loud laughter, dancing, singing and carefree joy like it used to be. Now you should be more modest, calmer, grownup.
I stayed quiet, not out of offense but because I was amazed at how easily people draw lines where none exist. Then I smiled, looked deep inside myself and said calmly,
Ive never read a rule book that tells a woman when she must stop being herself.
After all, who decides when a woman is no longer allowed to laugh until she cries? Who decides at what age a red lipstick becomes improper or a favourite song may no longer be sung at full volume? We dont cease to be ourselves just because the calendar adds another year.
Yes, there are many years behind meyears filled with pain, lessons and great happiness. Ive witnessed soaring highs and crushing lows, losses and fresh starts. And now I am differentnot older, but calmer, deeper, wiser. I have learned to cherish silence, to listen to my own heart, and to understand that true youth isnt stamped on a passport; it lives in the eyes, in the ability to delight in small things, and in the wonder we keep for the world.
I no longer feel the need to prove my worth to anyone. Im not chasing a youthful façade; I simply want to livetruly. I laugh when something amuses me. I dance when a beloved tune plays. I wear what feels right to me, not what someone says belongs to a certain age. Most of all, I allow myself to be alive.
Life isnt a stage where you must play a role appropriate to your years. Its a journey, and each day is a gift. Its a shame when people abandon joy simply because someone mutters, Thats no longer suitable for you.
It is suitable for me.
It is suitable for me to laugh when my spirit sings.
It is suitable for me to wear bright dresses even though Im not twenty.
It is suitable for me to be exactly who I am now, without excuses or fear.
There is no such thing as the wrong age. There is only a momentwarm, genuine, alive. If you feel a light inside, if your heart still wants to laugh and love, then you are alive.
Now is my time to livetruly, without limits, without shame, without the whispers of should and must not. No one has the right to decide when a woman stops being herself.
I simply exist. And each morning I tell myself,
This is my age. The best one yet.
