by Anease Lacaze

Created on: September 26, 2008   Last Updated: October 09, 2008

I just grew up last Friday, seriously. In a matter of 6 hours, I reached the epiphany of my life, or at least that of my twenties. I will be 27 in two days, and while growing up has been like hiking up a treacherous mountain naked in freezing weather, I am happy to be where I am.

My mid-twenties crisis hit early at 20, during my birthday dinner. "I'm so old," I muttered to my parents as they jeered at my ridiculousness. "Don't you know what comes after 20?" I asked with such ferocity you would have thought I was arguing for world peace. "30, comes after 20!" I exclaimed. I honestly felt like I had lived my entire life already. With each birthday I have aged, but perhaps more important, I have evolved. We do not suddenly wake up one morning grown up, but rather, we learn and develop over a lifetime. Birthdays matter to me less and less every year, and the age matters a little less each year too. With age, comes an inner-peace that calms the mind in a way no drug or therapy can. Age is nothing more than another number to remember, and I have been forgetting my current age since 25.

I learned early in life that being young was seen as a hindrance, not a benefit. Until about a year ago, I was never taken seriously by strangers. The young are often lumped together, and it's not always the best company to keep. I was assumed to be irresponsible or flighty just because of my age. Others' judgments affected my self-worth and I began to doubt myself. Everything changes when you are taken seriously; confidence fills your mind and body, and pushes you toward your dreams. Age has given me the confidence and knowledge necessary to grow up and move on with life. I think perhaps the biggest struggle while growing up is moving on from friends, schools and parents. Young people usually allow their peers and parents to influence their lives extensively, and finding your own voice can be difficult. Once it's found though, age is irrelevant.

The twenties are a tough decade for anyone, but they are to be enjoyed. I learned who I was in my early twenties. Now that I know myself, I plan to continue on the path I have set before me. I recently had my doctor tell me she was jealous of my 27th birthday. She said 27 was a great year for her, and she advised me not to take these years for granted. So often, adults in their mid-twenties get too caught up in "being old," and they miss out on being young.

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