I was so busy living through 32 that I didn’t have time to think about it much. Does age get felt in years anymore, after you hit a certain number? Maybe after 30, birthdays just turn into an annual excuse to a party with your friends (if having people over in your decorated backyard for cocktails counts as a party…which it does when you’re over 30)!
I’ve never understood why people hide their age. I think it’s because each number has social expectations tied to it and if you’re not where you think you should be by a certain age, it’s something to be ashamed of. But that’s so one dimensional. There are so many aspects of my life where I’m falling way ‘behind’, and other aspects where I’m ‘ahead’…so it kind of balances me out into this very normal person compared to everyone else my age. Whatever age I am is the age I am. Some days my elderly neighbors are giving me tips on harvesting tomatoes from the garden and I feel like I’m dumb and 25 and some days when I’m done with work and scrubbing wine glasses, tired AF I feel like I’m 40. I have lots of friends with two kids, and lots of friends that are enjoying the swiping life. Social expectations are whatever, as long as whatever I am, I hope I’m cool. I hope I’m as cool at thirty-three as I was at thirty-two.
Today I haven’t changed out of my plaid pajama bottoms, and never made it to make up. I wonder if my team cringes when I hop on Zoom and I’m in a hoodie and messy bun — so opposite from casual work dress. It’s been almost 14 months of WFH life for me, 3 job changes and 1 company change since COVID started, since my birthday last year. But today I was a little hungover, because we hosted my birthday party in the backyard last night and it was a smashing success! Andrew was such a trooper, and worked so hard to execute my vision of a romantic lantern soireé. We hung a ton of paper lanterns on the string lights across the yard, I filled Chinese vases with bright pink flowers, we ordered trays of Chinese catering and had an endless wine supply, meant to be sipped from colored vintage goblets. I was delighted by how it turned out, and even more delighted by how many friends came by — some faces I hadn’t seen in over a year! Everyone invited was vaccinated. Everyone was so happy to see each other! The sun came out and we had a bonfire and roasted s’mores, eventually fading into just seven of us sitting on the porch and sipping on canned tequila. It was the perfect yard party — I just wish I had taken photos. It felt — if only for a few hours — like the pandemic had never happened.
For my actual birthday I have no plans, because we have a cool Airbnb booked for the weekend and well…if I call it my birthday weekend and leave it undefined then really it can become my birthday month?!
Also, what can one do with a bunch of unused Chinese take out boxes?
