Tuesday 22 April 2014

To everyone that is approaching a birthday...any birthday.



Argh!  Where'd the time go?

I turn 30 years old this year.

30!

How?

Last time I looked, I was celebrating my 21st, dressed in a black tutu, drunk on Stella, white wine, Bailey's and Morgan's, while morosely pontificating about how my next massive birthday celebration was years away.

What happened?

BOOM!

2 kids, a marriage, more house moves than I can count on one hand, 6 new jobs, post-natal depression, amazing holidays, new friends, old friends, singing in a band, new crafts, amazing job, being an auntie, weddings, babies everywhere, degree courses, life, life, life...

It's like someone hit fast-forward.

Now I'm left wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do to ear-mark this coming of age.  After all, my next big celebration is 40.

Only ten years away.

But; Ten Whole Years Away.

I'm sure I'll be looking back in ten years feeling exactly the same as I do now.

What should I do though?  Am I supposed to make a 'bucket-list'?  Do I go on a crazy holiday?  Do I accept age gracefully and have a nice quiet meal? (that's so. not. me.)  Do I hold a huge party?  Would anyone show up to a party for me?  That's the fear, isn't it?

An age like this is where we take stock, assess our lives.  What if nobody showed up?  What would I glean from that? It would probably destroy my confidence for the next 10 years.  No 40th party then!

As I'm one of the youngest ones in my year, I'll be watching my peers slip into their 30's, watching how they approach it, looking for assurance, hoping they all find what they are looking for in a righteous 30th celebration.

I know I'm going to really go for it - you are either with me or against me, and if you're with me, well, you are in for a helluva night.



There's something very nice and confident about getting older - I don't give two fuzz-buckets what anyone thinks of me.  And yes, I will probably wear an outlandish outfit, be drinking tequila and singing anything you'll let me if I get my hands on a microphone.

One thing that is very obvious to me now, is that life is very, very short.

I once worked with a guy who lost a good friend in his 40th year in an horrific accident, in the year that he and his group of friends all turned 40; that guy never got to celebrate his own 40th with the rest of them.  My colleague told me that no matter his age, he now always made a huge deal out of his and everyone around him's birthdays, because as he so rightly said, you never know when it might be your last - nobody can guess the future.  If you have a birthday, it means only one thing - you're still here to enjoy it.

His advice to anyone approaching 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100,110?  31, 32, 33, 45, 28, 63, 55? Any damn age?

Don't do it quietly.  Be loud.  Enjoy it.  You are lucky to be here.


I will be, whatever I end up settling on as a celebration.

Oh and watch this video.  It can never hurt to bone up on a little life advice from Baz.  I always forget how relevant it is.  Very grounding in times like these.  I think it should be prescribed. 








4 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Genna :) As someone who's already passed the dreaded 30 mark (hey now, not too long ago!) I can honestly say with a completely straight face that these are the best years. We're old enough to have the confidence and poise to take on the world--or the day in some cases--and we are definitely still young enough to enjoy every second. Go have that big birthday bash, I look forward to reading all about it :)

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    1. Thanks Emma! It's not until November, but the wave of friends' birthdays has begun - and all our younger friends are having a good giggle about it, ha ha! their time will come! I'm feeling very good about age - you are right, it's lending a lot to my self-assurance and confidence. I feel great :) I can't wait to party - I have started to plan already!

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  2. Happy birthday.Ok, so I was feeling fine about turning 38 this year till I read this. 30 is nothing, babe. You're in your prime! x

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  3. I turned 30 last year then became a (step) grandma less than 2 months later.... THAT my dear is how not to turn 30!

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