Birthdays come every year, and my family gathers to celebrate them. But some birthdays mark milestones, signifying the transition from one phase to another.
Recently, my family and I celebrated my mother’s 50th birthday, and a few months ago, I turned 25. My mother had just reached double my age. At the dinner party, one of my relatives gave me a piece of advice: after someone turns 50, you start counting their age backwards. I guess that’s true — life does have a reverse gear, and it typically kicks in around 50.
While there’s a popular notion that age is just a number, my mom’s milestone really got me thinking. What do these milestones mean, and how do they shape our approach to life? Initially, I was scared, wondering how I should prepare for the coming years — comparing medical insurances, looking at health plans, and more. But as I watched my mother embrace this new chapter, it became clear that these milestones aren’t just about age — they’re about attitude.
Life may have slowed down for her, but she welcomed it with a willingness, rekindling her passion for gardening and finding new ways to enjoy life, unthreatened by the fact that she was getting older. For me, it was a reminder that her 50th birthday was not just a celebration of the years gone by, but a reminder to live fully, no matter what age we are. Perhaps, when I reach that milestone, I will start counting backwards too — not in fear of getting older, but in a renewed appreciation for every moment I have left to live.
This experience left me believing that age is truly just a number; your attitude in life is what really matters.
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Published - September 29, 2024 02:32 am IST
