Thirteen days from now, I will officially turn another year older. I will be 24 years old, and bursting with dreams. And yes, I am pregnant with lovely ideas, haha got you etchuserang froglets (rumormongers). Boyfriend nga wala pa akong balak, baby pa kaya (Um, let’s leave that untranslatable *winks*). I have these goals, these opportunities all within reach. Why am I telling you this? Because I just realized that I am all grown up.
There was a time when I really itched to own all that I wanted to have. I salivate over the breathtaking Christian Loboutin shoes, the beautiful Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, Diane von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein dresses and gowns. And don’t get me started on the bags. Oh, the bags! If money grew on trees, I’d probably buy, among all the things I saw and loved, those that still run through my mind when I try to go to sleep at night.
But in the same way that I can happily window-shop, I can do the same online. I can look but not necessarily click and buy. Sure, I’ll splurge once in a while, but there are many things I can live without. Yes, I am all grown up because I really do not have to have every material thing my heart desires. Sometimes, dreaming about them is happiness enough. Looking at beautiful things can already be a joy in itself.
It’s nothing profound, but this insight has spawned the list I am sharing with you today. At 24, I know I am all grown up because:
1. I do not have to have everything I want.
2. I take saving for the future (seriously).
3. I actually ask God to help me honestly forgive those who hurt me (on my own, that can be hard to do).
4. My hair is still a mess but I can be unapologetic about my choices.
5. I truly welcome reunions because you want to touch base with people.
6. I make wish lists but they are just that: wish lists. They do not direct my life.
7. I don’t take life and myself too seriously.
8. I know that love is not a light word.
9. I can and will go out of my way to brighten a lonely person’s day.
10. It is a peaceful thought to know that not everything is about you.
11. I appreciate rituals and traditions enough to do what I can to make them live on.
12. I care about what happens to our country.
13. I have learned to budget.
14. I also know that “no budget” does not necessarily mean “no money.”
15. Spending hard-earned money pinches.
16. I start remembering and applying all that Mom and Dad have taught me.
17. I have learned to really linger over a cup of coffee.
18. I savor experiences, moments, people.
19. I live the present moment as fully as I can.
20. There is this urge to stretch beyond your comfort zone.
21. The fear of failure does not stop you from trying out new things.
22. I can find it in myself to gracefully acknowledge all the lessons buried beneath every pain.
23. I choose my battles.
24. It’s easy for me to choose to rise above petty people, petty situations.
