HOW AGE CAN BRING WISDOM
15 JANUARY 2022
Age is such a funny thing. I’m a firm believer in the old maxim that growing older is better than the alternative, so I’ve always embraced birthdays and don’t lie about my age – not even when I was on dating apps! I can’t tell you how grateful I am that I got to celebrate my 40th year before the pandemic kicked in. I had so many plans that I’d worked on for years – cruises, weekends away, a big party and several little ones – so I’m glad I got to enjoy that blowout year before our lives were essentially put on hold. I’ve seen so many other friends and family have to have pared-back birthdays – we had a trip to Lanzarote in October during which we celebrated a 30th, a 50th, two 60ths and a 70th – and as someone who adores parties, I’d have been traumatised if that had happened to me. It was so lovely to see Kate Middleton embrace her landmark 40th birthday last weekend, and I’m sure the celebrations will continue for a few weeks to come. On page 24 of today’s issue we look at her fashion influence since she joined the royal family, while on page 28 we review her growing relationship with the Queen. She’s had to spend more than half her life in the public eye, under constant scrutiny, as she fell in love, married and had children. The maturity she’s shown in recent years proves that age does contribute to your sense of responsibility. ‘Roundy’ birthdays can be a trigger for people – as if when the clock strikes midnight you’ve missed some unseen deadline. By 30, I should have done... By 40, I should have achieved... By 50, I should be feeling... But your life can’t be lived on a timeline. From the time we’re born, we reach milestones at different times and that continues throughout our lives. Nobody can dictate to you where you should be in your life at any age. My mam is 67 and still does Pilates classes. My cousin is 52 and still goes to the first day of Funderland every year. My 92-year-old greataunt was very active on Facebook until her death last year. I’m 42 and still regularly watch WWE. Your age should have little to no influence over how you live your life, apart maybe from physical capabilities. One of my favourite TV shows is Netflix’s Grace & Frankie, starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. I particularly love how it deals with their forays back on to the dating scene after decades of marriage. It doesn’t shy away from the trials and tribulations, but it deals with it all so sensitively and kindly. The idea of age is changing so much. I’ll bet that if you think back to what your parents were doing when they were your current age, you’ll feel that they were so much older and more mature. That’s obviously not the case, they were just in different circumstances, at a time when people married and had children at a much younger age. Where you are now is where you’re meant to be, no matter what the year on your birth certificate. So embrace it.
Enjoy the issue.