Age is just a number!!
How many of you have heard,“25 and no job yet, you will be behind in your career” or “OMG, you are 30 and still not married,is everything ok” or the most irritating of all “Lady you are 35,your biological clock is ticking”, as if the person involved doesn't know her age.
This blog is more on the Indian context,and as I see here in India,the moment a child is born the race begins,starting from the vitals the competition starts — to begin with the weight,the height,and the complexions are compared. Mommies are heard taking pride on the weight of the child or the complexion of the child, next which school is your child in, then what extracurricular activities is your child doing and so on. This competition doesn't end till this child is alive and everything is linked with the age. Parents have the aspirations for their child, my neighbors child started the pre-school at 2.5yrs, mine should start at 2,and the planning starts even before the child is born :). I am a parent of 2 kids, but I just couldn't do it to my kids, as somewhere this seems illogical to me. I mean how does it really matter whether you graduate at 18 or 20. Life is beyond this age game, it's more about what experiences one has gained in my view.
I got married at the age of 25 (again as my parents had this age checklist to tick :)), and i remember in the 2nd month of my marriage, my mother-in-law curtly asked me whether or not i have missed my cycles,and if i have not i must consult a gynaecologist, as if my life’s sole motto was to first marry her son and then produce his kids. I mean c’mon,we are living in the 21st century and we all are well aware of something called birth control. And it's my life let me decide when do i want what or whether i even want to have a child or not.
Being a working woman, I had my other aspirations in life and for my career besides following an age chart. I had my first child at 30, 5 years after my marriage and that doesn’t make me any lesser than those who had a child right after the 9 months of their marriage, however over the years i realised, it's not just my story, it's the story of many women.
The ladies in your condo, family or the elderly have this favourite topic of discussion, whose daughter is of what age and still not married. It is ok till it's only a gossip amongst themselves, and i understand it can't be controlled, but the problem starts when this intelligent lot of people tries to bulldoze either the girl or her parents. To such gossip ladies i want to ask , what trophy did they get marrying at the age of 18 or 20. Live and let live boss, but no this lot is so busy talking about others that they don't think how all this might impact the other person. And they don't understand times have changed, and women these days have their own likes and dislikes, many don't even want to get married or decide to get married late. Age is just a number; how does it matter at what age one marries. Marriage is a part of life but not life and similarly are all the other events, like getting a job, having a child etc. Also,in most cases haven't seen the same rules being applied on a man, even a 40 year old unmarried man is called an “Eligible Bachelor” unlike a 40 year old woman, who is told she will need to compromise as she is marrying late.
So, this is to all the beautiful ladies out there, live your life as you want. Don't let others decide your objectives of life nor let people trying to bring you down for your choices do it to you. Do what you feel is right for you and don't let the age pressure stress you. Stay mentally and physically healthy and remember Age is just a number, do things when you are ready and not because someone else wants it that way. Don't let your age dictate what you can or cannot do. Live your dreams at any age as after all “Age is just a number”.
(Author :Vagda Kanwar)
