Write@Home
Winter 2015

General

Hands of the elderly woman close-up

A few months ago, it was my birthday, and my son told me, “Mom, do you realize that you’ve lived for half a century? If you think about it, that's two thirds of your life”. Those words affected me. He was right. I tried to measure time but I couldn’t. It is as if all these years that have passed are neither short nor long, they just are.

At this point in my life, I have no regrets. In these years, I have had happy moments that I keep in my heart, as well as bad moments from which I have learned from. These moments are what have made me the person I am today.

Another question my son asked me was, “If you could go back in time, what would you change from your past?”. My response was, “nothing, everything in life is for a reason”.

Now in my fifties, I feel confident with my wrinkles and flaws, and I can say my age to anyone who asks me without feeling distress.

I recently read a quote from Betty Friedan, an American activist, which made me reflect on my age. It read, “aging is not lost youth, but a new stage of opportunity and strength”.