Just recently I turned 18 and have found myself worrying about the most superficial thing: aging.
I’m currently 18 and was honestly starting to develop a phobia at the mere idea that I would eventually have to hit 30 and no longer be considered as young. Eighteen is the age I have always dreamed of being, but I never really thought what would happen once I became older. I even found myself wishing I was one of the lost boys in Peter Pan who never quite grew up. Part of me wishes this summer would never end, sitting in the passenger seat of my best friend’s car blasting the radio. Yes, I want to enjoy this summer, but I also don’t want it to become the high point of my entire existence.
I’m sure a large portion of you have heard the song “Forever Young” by Jay-Z. I know that personally it was on my iPod for at least two weeks straight. But then I realized it; this song wasn’t helping me feel any better about myself. One of the lines of the song is actually “let us die young or let us live forever.” I know that I personally believed these words to be true when I suffered from an eating disorder. I was more than willing to die striving to be thin than living in a body I believed was “fat.” I valued looks more than my own life. And if you can identify with that mindset please don’t hesitate in seeking help because no matter what you think right now your life and health is worth so much more than your physical appearance and that is exactly what this web site is about.
We have this life to enjoy and live up. Don’t be afraid to smile widely, to make fun faces into the mirror, or to enjoy a delicious piece of chocolate cake. Forget wrinkles and forget weight! Let’s stop being such a self conscious nation and let’s look into mirrors and see what is truly there: the beauty everyone else can see but that we must discover for ourselves.
Let’s embrace life every step of the way and appreciate all the opportunities for change it has to offer.
-Angela Garcia
This article is intended to convey general educational information and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional healthcare advice.
