28April2025 Dear Diary,
Today a colleague leaned in, his expression deadserious, and told me, Youre not exactly in your prime any more.
At first I didnt quite catch what he meant. Sorry, what does that even mean? I asked.
He answered as if the answer were obvious: You know its no longer appropriate to wear bright dresses, burst out laughing at everything, dance in the kitchen, sing at the pub, or enjoy life the way you used to. Now you should be more modest, calmer, grownup.
I kept quiet. Not out of offense, but because I was amazed at how easily people erect invisible boundaries where none exist. Then I smiled, looked inward, and replied calmly: Ive never read a rulebook that tells a person when they must stop being themselves.
After all, who decides when a womanor a manshould stop laughing until tears roll down her cheeks? Who decides the age at which red lipstick, a boisterous chorus of a favourite hymn, or a spontaneous jig become inappropriate? The calendar may add years, but it doesnt strip away our essence.
I have behind me many seasonsyears full of pain, learning, and great joy. I have witnessed triumphs and setbacks, losses and fresh starts. I am now differentnot older, but more tranquil, deeper, wiser. Ive come to cherish silence, to listen to my own heart, and to understand that true youth isnt recorded in 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 younger look; I simply want to liveauthentically. I laugh when Im amused, I sway to a favourite tune, I dress in what feels right to me, not in what a certain age supposedly allows. Most importantly, I allow myself to be alive.
Life isnt a stage where you play the role of a particular age. Its a journey, each day a gift. Its a shame when people reject joy simply because someone said, Thats not appropriate for you now.
It is appropriate for me to laugh when my spirit sings.
It is appropriate for me to wear a bold coat even if Im not twentytwo.
It is appropriate for me to be exactly who I am right now, without excuses or fear.
There is no such thing as the wrong age. There is only a momentwarm, genuine, alive. If you feel light within, if your heart still wants to laugh and love, then you are living.
Now is my time to livetruly, without limits, without shame, without should and must. No one has the right to decide when a person stops being themselves.
So I live, and each morning I tell myself: Yes, this is my age. Its the best one yet.
Lesson learned: age is merely a number; the real measure of life is the courage to remain yourself, whatever the calendar says.
