one moment of gratifying self-pity.

**my next guest is cassie.  you know her for all of my adventures of the last year.  if i haven't made it clear enough, let me tell you again...don't even try to be a cool as cassie.  i met cassie at the beginning of fall semester and i don't think i have gone a day without seeing her since then {minus school breaks and the time when my friends and i got together to make family dinner last thursday and didn't invite her} and i like it that way.  again, try not to compare me to cassie after you read this masterpiece because even though she is really cool and indie and hip, even she still thinks i am cool and indie and hip.  oh and read her tumblr and you will have a new fav place to spend your free time..**

There comes a time when a birthday does not bring the type of happiness one previously experiences. As much as such an anniversary can give, it can also take. Twenty years old means the forceful removal of a certain satisfying suffix. This would be: –teen. No longer will the newly turned twenty-year-old be allowed to string such a sense of youthful security to the end of their numerical label.
This abrupt loss could be hard to cope with. Being a –teen carries with it a certain expectancy of ignorance, irresponsibility, flippancy – It allows a degree of leniency in one’s actions. However, twenty is officially an adult number, and thus carries a sense of experience, seriousness, and accountability. Not as much as maybe the late-twenties and onward, but undoubtedly more than any –teen.
So, I think Paige deserves a tiny instance of mourning. One moment of gratifying self-pity.

And then she can get over it.

Because Paige has rocked the last twenty years. I’ve known her for less than 1/20th of said years, and even I know this. For example:

Paige has,

-Formed a confidence and individualism that makes her unique and likeable and interesting as a person
-Been an example and leader by upholding standards severely different from those found within her society, while simultaneously developing ambitious goals intertwined with these standards
-Made and maintained stronger family bonds than a lot of the 20 year olds I know. After friends and temporary stages of life have moved away or passed on, family stays. Paige’s have been given a place of permanent love and significance
-Developed talents… Of athletic and creative capabililities. Of undeniable wit and humor. Of extreme intellect and an honest desire for knowledge. Of spiritual depth and moral strength. Of loyalty to friendships and genuine appreciation for those around her
-Made a positive difference in the lives of more people than she realizes, including me!

If this is not enough to make Paige forget about the sudden death of her –teen years, she can also imagine the future and how it holds all of that list and so much more.
I might not be so positive when turning 40 or 50, instead of 20, but I think birthdays can be the markers of an entirely new take on life, or an improved one. My hope for Paige, and anyone else embarking on a new year of life, including myself, is that we can attempt to excel in every way. Hopefully we will take less for granted, allow ourselves more learning, develop new ways of knowing the world, and convey our own ways of knowing through positive expressions.
It is what we make it. Maybe we can think of every added year in this context, whether we’re on our 20th, 30th, or even 90th.
That is my almost –teen, but technically adult advice, since we are 20.

Happy Birthday Paige. Love you!

**crying yet?  so good, right.  thank you cass.  another home run blog post!*