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I'm taking today off because it's my birthday!
Though I'm turning 32, I don't feel as though I'm growing much older. Not only are a majority of my students my age or my seniors... 32 still feels quite young to me!
One of my students, who I mentioned this to, asked if I disliked growing older.
Women in general are taught to hide their age or to look younger; facials, treatments, and skin care are largely designed to give a more 'youthful' appearance. Hair is dyed to disguise white or gray hair. Clothes are supposed to be trendy, which tends to focus on early 20s folks, but not TOO trendy, or else they're not being mature enough.
But I'm actually quite happy to age.
Not only is it a privilege to grow older, it's also personal to me. Every year I age, the closer I am to the age that my aunt & father passed away; both were quite young (in their 40s or 50s), so I almost look forward to when I've surpassed those ages.
As I've gotten older, I also feel more settled in myself. I am confident in who I am; what I stand for ethically and professionally; how to manage my time, my energy, and my emotions; and what is actually important to me. There's less pressure, as I get older, to conform to what I'm 'supposed' to be doing with my life. Which is freeing!
Celebrating birthdays can be hard for some people, if there's negative memories associated with it. Oftentimes, countries around the world also have different traditions.
If you'd like to talk to me about your own birthday memories, want to ask about mine, or just start up a chat, please feel free to request a lesson! :)
Emiko S
2026年7月17日
Happy birthday to you!! My birthday is also July 14th ;) I understand that the fear of aging, but I admit it has a lot of benefits
Liz English
2026年7月15日
Happy Birthday! Hope you had a lovely day. I think you're right about the different pressures on women as they age. I started going grey in my 20s and initially dyed my hair to cover it. Now I honestly can't be bothered, I'm quite content with my silver streaks! Thankfully I've never been a slave to fashion (as you can tell from my profile picture!!) so 'dressing my age' is something else I don't concern myself with. I was really moved by your thoughts and comparisons to the age you are now compared to the age at which your relatives died, and your description of ageing as a privilege x