I'm 35 and loving it!

If there is anything I am not, it is stereotypical. My previous post, Life in a Fishbowl, will spell that out ever so clearly. My mother used to look at it as the “rebellious” child in me – my going against the flow, my being opinionated, and all that. But then again, it springs up in a few other things like my being comfortable with telling my age, for one. Allow me to say it out loud, I am 35 and loving it!

Yes, I am getting essentially close to midlife. Whether there will be a crisis or not, we’ll find out in five years or so. I’ll hopefully blog about it then. But you have to agree with me when I say, “It is better to be over the hill than under it,” eh?

Unlike some women who dread to reveal their age, I, with joy and thanksgiving, will gladly shout it out that I’m 35! These digits remind me of how long God has graciously provided for my every need and some.

19-year-old me

A turning point in my life when I was nineteen has probably a lot to do with it. I underwent a major operation when I was 19 years old. Being told by the first doctor I saw that the probability of cancer is high (my maternal grandmother died of it), I made an appeal to God to give me five more years just so I can live my life for His glory and hopefully make up for the years I backslid. It has been 16 years since and God has gone beyond showing me how to survive life.

Fulfillment is more than just making it to the top. It has a lot more to do with being in a place where you are doing what you purposed to do. Living for the here and now is probably the norm to a whole bunch that warms up the population. A life with meaning is what we all ultimately want. But even living a life with meaning does not automatically translate to a sunshiny disposition every moment of every day. In fact, trying times can often be overwhelming.

Then there are a few nasties about aging too. Like seeing those fine lines go deeper and multiply, failing health and a host of others that come as we linger. But then again, we could not be in a better innovatively pumped era, even Queen Esther did not live to witness. My being a Christian woman is no excuse for me to go about looking drab and flat. Truth is, we should make sure that we stay physically attractive to our husbands. But we also have to keep in mind that real beauty comes from within. An age old (pun intended) cliché that breathes a whole grain of truth to it.

A photo of me and my Mama on my first birthday (34 years ago)

We are all going to fade away one way or another. I was in my teenage years when I thought I had my whole life ahead of me. Truth is, life is way too short. Ten, twenty years can come by so fast. I grew up and my parents barely saw that I did! And it was just like yesterday that I married the man I have been praying for since I was eleven and guess what? We are actually celebrating our tenth anniversary in less than a couple of months! Yes, time flies and I am the most thrilled to be watching this face in the mirror growing old knowing I am living my life like I am purposed to. While others might just about find this arrogant of me to say and the state unreachable. It really is not. Life Change is possible.

Me and my boys celebrating my 35th birthday

I am loving life not because of my circumstance, but because of the choices I have made over the years. And every single year that adds up to my existence is a manifestation of God’s faithfulness in my life. The blessings on my plate come with responsibilities and knowing where I stand and how I go about managing these things lay out a purpose-filled life that I currently live. This is why I celebrate life without apology for my age. You can do the same.