My worst nightmare was about to come true. The day I dreaded the most, the day I never wanted to witness in my entire life, was just a few days away. I grew paralysed just by the thought of it. There was no way around, I just didn’t have anything in my hands.

I started to lose my slept, thinking about it as the day drew closer. I looked myself in the mirror to check if I was still the same person. I frankly couldn’t notice any changes; I still looked the same as I had the last year, or the year before that. Maybe had just gained few pounds, but that was very normal with me. I tend to keep gaining and losing pounds around the year. So, how could the day be approaching so soon? I still felt young within. How could the day mark that I was now old?

Finally the dreaded day arrived. At first I was scared to even open my eyes to welcome the day. But, as everyone started pouring in their wishes and love, I had to.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I was greeted with my favourite chocolate cake with big candles, which displayed “30” on it. Seeing this made my heart skip a beat, but seeing the expecting faces around me, waiting for me to cut my cake, made me feel better.

Soon I was bathed in cake and gifts as it was a milestone birthday for me, as they say. I had now entered the house of thirties. I was no longer in my twenties. I was considered to now be a grown-up; children would start calling me aunty. I would no longer be welcomed in the group of people in their twenties as I would be considered too old, and I would feel awkward in group of people elder to me. It seemed to be a very critical phase to be in.

The days following the dreaded day passed normally. I actually didn’t see any change in the behaviour of people around me, as I had thought. Everything was just the same as it was before. I soon started to relax and I now no longer did mind telling people that I was 30. I looked the same, felt the same. Maybe I just had matured in my thoughts. I had 30 years of experience of life, but my body felt as young as it ever was.

I did start taking exercise and my life seriously before the age started showing, but by heart I was the same little girl, still hungry of love of her dear ones. I doubt if I will ever outgrow this.

We cannot stop ourselves from growing older every day, but what we can do instead is take our health and life seriously, enjoy ourselves as if we are still the little kid that we were when we were born and live life with no regrets. It is only then that we will realise that age is just a number. It will keep increasing every year, no matter what. It’s upon us to be sad about it, or challenge it to make us feel old.

You are as old as you think you are. Age is nothing to define who you are.