I’m only six months into my twenties, but I’d like to think that I already have a fair idea of what your twenties are for.
Your twenties are for feeling every single thing and feeling these things deeply, all while refusing to be apologetic for being the receiver of this gift which makes you human.
Suddenly, you feel not just the distinguishing, momentous occasions, but also those small, ephemeral moments that once slipped by unnoticed in the carefreeness of your teenage years. Suddenly, every single thing and every single person that crosses your path becomes essential to who you are and who you will become.
Every little moment you experience and every little thought that crosses your mind in your twenties is etched into your bones for you to carry with you for the rest of your life. You collect reminders of the time in your life that taught you lessons in being human and being alive. The beauty is that the marks you bear of these lessons in life will still remain long after your life has been lived. The rotting of your flesh will uncover the wisdom that lives on in your bones.
In your twenties, you learn to feel deeply, not only for yourself and for those whom you hold dear, but perhaps even more importantly, for those whom you do not know well. During this time, you unearth a fresh reserve of untapped compassion which at times weighs down your spirit, but ultimately sets it free. This newfound compassion feeds the intimacy of uttering silent prayers and well wishes for the ones whose quiet struggles you only know of in passing.
Your twenties are for seeing all the colours of the spectrum of human emotions. You feel love for those who have built you up and hatred for those who have broken you down. You feel joy and gratitude for the fruits that the tree of life has borne for you, but anger and indignation that these fruits are not being distributed among everyone equally and fairly. You feel hope for the possibilities that the future holds, but despair for the bleakness that clouds the present.
Everything feels bigger and grander in your twenties, like you have unlocked a fourth dimension that is only attainable by stepping out of the skin of your teenage self. The job you work to survive, the words you read in your books to escape, the person who has commanded your attention in such a way that it feels insulting to simply label them a crush—they all seem to now come with a promise of being permanently stamped into the passport of your life rather than just being a short layover. You get the feeling that you have already made it to your destination, and realisation dawns that it is up to you to decide what to do for the remainder of your stay. Your twenties are for learning to feast on this feeling instead of allowing it to consume you.
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