I Turned Twenty Four Today
It’s pretty amazing to realize you’ve made it to live to almost a quarter of a century. There’s a lot to be thankful for, no matter how big or mundane, how encouraging or heartbreaking.
Twenty four years passed before I could even say, “Life is what you make it!” and it’s no surprise that a lot of life milestones have taught me how to live, laugh, and to not take anything less than I know I deserve. Maybe it’s time or maybe it’s little ol’ experience, but whatever made me who I am today, I owe it all to a lot of what I saw, heard, and felt.
Birth was as simple as bright lights, strangers’ smiles, and screams that reached several hospital floors
One was my first birthday candle which mom and dad blew for me
Two was all about expensive tea sets and dressing up as a sailor ready to set sail through the waves of toddler-hood
Three was the year I was introduced to sugar and life was never the same after it
At four, I skid my knees almost everyday playing with imaginary friends because only child syndrome
And five was when I had to stop playing too much because asthma tried to ruin my lungs and—
at almost six, it failed and walked away.
Then six was all about trying to smile as perfect as I could towards an analog camera. I grew to love film after that.
Seven was my last birthday party
Being eight was all about peeking through doors, trying to assure myself that dad would be there until the end of class
Turning nine was when I received my first Corrs cassette and sang songs on large radios
Ten years in life meant broken plates and cut telephone wires
Turning eleven was witnessing my family fall apart — without knowing how or why, but knowing who the reason was
Hitting twelve years old was the death of my father
Thirteen years meant rumors and one-sided judgments against my widowed mother who worked beyond her might to keep me alive and well
Being fourteen were tears on window sills and the start of a beautiful friendship
Fifteen was the bitter taste of bullying
Sixteen was the epitome of independence
— and seventeen escalated to a lot of house hunting and self-discovery
Eighteen was full of smiles and reality settling in
Nineteen years old was a cold rush of wind and the burning flame of love
Turning twenty was the price of settling for cheap dates
— and putting up with being hidden out of sight
Being twenty one held a lot of health complications and a half-empty, half-hopeful resume
Twenty two was crying myself to sleep, wanting to rip my heart out, and yell
Turning twenty three meant kids’ laughter wherever I turned, signing on dotted lines, getting drunk on caffeine
Twenty four is walking on orange-lighted streets, counting stars, truer friendships, officially claiming my independence yet will always be welcome to come back anytime, and a stronger heart.
To you, who’s still here with me — thank you.
