Feature

Happy Birthday!

Monday Oct 1, 2007 – By Rashana Hooks

Every year our birthdays come around with parties, celebrations, and gifts. The day is filled with primping and pampering so we can look our best with friends and family to honor the day we were born. But when the candles are blown, the guests are gone, and the night is over we let the party stop there. Unbeknownst to us, the real celebration begins when we are thankful for living to see another birthday and appreciating the fact that we are a year smarter, wiser and closer to reaching our full potential. Although I know this now, I didn’t always . . . it just goes to show you what a difference a year can make.

Up until recently, I would shamelessly or falsely tell my age when asked how old I was. The reason wasn’t because I was really old, it’s because I didn’t value my life experiences enough to not be afraid of letting people know my true age. As a woman, I was more concerned with societal standards of what ladies at my age should have or be, when I should have been proud to protest my glorious age of twenty-eight. It was at this age that I learned many valuable life lessons, such as business is never personal, people will show you who they are faster than they will tell you, and your metabolism does slow down after twenty-five. More importantly, I learned a lot about myself. I learned to accept my likes and dislikes, my mood related fashion style and my need for “me” time without feeling guilty, to just name a few. That’s why it’s so important to embrace and love the inevitable fact of getting older regardless of what society or people may say. It gives you that rare opportunity to look back and take stock and inventory of yourself to see how much you have grown as a person and to say to clichÃ©s like “If I knew back then what I know now . . .,” because truthfully we all have made some stupid mistakes in the past and are happy and grateful we know much better now. So the next time it’s your b-day and the crowd shouts HOW OLD ARE YOU NOW respond honestly and proudly and be HAPPY it’s your BIRTHDAY!

B says:

October 2, 2007 at 10:24 pm

I just turned 28 too, and after months of agonizing over the material possessions or relationships I did not have, I have finally decided to embrace what I truly have: health, family and friends! And it really does get harder to exercise and lose weight after 25… I never believed it when I heard it but it’s true!!

↑ Reply

Product Girl says:

October 6, 2007 at 2:18 am

Great Article RaShana!

tremaine says:

October 6, 2007 at 11:17 pm

this is a good article. i’ve never had the problem disclosing my age; i’ve always seen it as a blessing no matter the downsides or traditional stances that come w/ the numbers i gain. it’s good that you’ve come to this realization. truly good indeed…