It’s that time of year again. The time when I reflect upon my life; the good memories and the bad, if only for a short while. If you assume I’m referring to Christmas, your assumption is incorrect (but, I admit, It’s a safe one because Christmas is just around the corner).

No, I’m talking about birthdays; the only day of the year that allows you to be selfish without a reason.

This year, I turn 27. When many people’s birthday approaches, the old saying, ?Another year older and deeper in debt? may run through their minds.

I’ve been an AU student for two years now but it didn’t take long to discover a new saying: ?Another year older and still one credit short.?

This accurately expresses how I feel about being an undergrad when my birthday arrives and it also runs through my mind when I wonder how much longer it will take to earn my degree.

Throughout my childhood years, I never gave the idea of getting older much thought, and it never occurred to me on my birthday. I just enjoyed the cake, the gifts, and the company of my family and friends. I lived in the moment.

Now, I still live in the moment; I enjoy the same things but I have a clear understanding of time. Each year we get older and though we want to stop it we know It’s impossible. All we can do is try to accept it.

Everyone accepts getting older in their own way, though some people are more successful at doing this than others. For example, they may decide they’d rather focus on the things they can change rather than on the things they can’t.

I’m one of those people. For me, nothing specific led to this acceptance; it happened naturally. Like a young boy who is interested in his baby toys yet doesn’t think about them anymore in the moment he discovers he likes his toddler clothes.

I’m able to relish my life’s memories as they occur, though this was a difficult task to accomplish when I was a teenager. I longed for everything to stay the same and I thought, if I made this wish on my birthday cake each year, it would come true.

Today, I realize that accepting change is the key to believing that getting older is just a part of life.

I still make a wish when I blow out the candles on my birthday cake. I think we all like to make a wish because, in that moment, age doesn’t really matter.