Hey love, you wont believe what someone said to me the other day, deadserious: Youre not that age any more! At first I was totally blank, so I asked, Sorry, what do you mean? And they launched into it like it was obvious: Well, you know its not the time for bright dresses, loud laughter, dancing and singing like we used to. Now youve got to be more modest, calmer, grownup.
I just sat there, not offended, just watching how quickly people stick a label on something that isnt even there. Then I smiled, looked deep inside and calmly said, You know, Ive never read a rulebook that tells a woman when shes supposed to stop being herself.
Because seriously who decides when a woman cant burst out laughing till she cries? Who decides the age when you shouldnt wear a splashy red lipstick or belt out your favourite song at the top of your lungs? We dont stop being us just because the calendar adds a few more candles.
By now Ive got a fair few years behind me years full of pain, learning, and pure joy. Ive seen the highs and the lows, loss and fresh starts. So Im different now not older, just quieter, deeper, wiser. Ive learned to love the hush, to listen to my own heart, and Ive realised real youth isnt in your passport; its in your eyes, in the ability to get a kick out of the little things and to stay amazed by the world.
I dont have to prove my worth to anyone any more. Im not chasing a younger look; I just want to live truly. I laugh when something tickles me. I dance when a favourite tune pops on the radio. I dress in what feels right, not what someone says belongs at my age. And, most importantly, I give myself permission to feel alive.
Life isnt a stage where you play the part of the appropriate age. Its a journey, and every day is a gift. Its a shame when people ditch their joy just because some voice said, Thats no longer for you.
It is for me. Its for me to laugh when my soul sings. Its for me to wear bright dresses even if Im not twentysomething. Its for me to be exactly who I am right now, without excuses or fear.
Theres no such thing as the wrong age. Theres only a moment warm, real, alive. If you feel a light inside, if your heart still wants to laugh and love, youre alive.
Now its my time to live. Properly, without limits, without shame, without the shoulds and mustnts. No one gets to decide when a woman stops being herself.
Im just living. And each morning I tell myself, Yes, this is my age. The best one yet.
