Another birthday is coming up next week. I am turning 21 ( times two that is!) So I went through my old pictures to find one that reminds me of how smooth my skin used to be, how tight my lean body was, and how carefree life was for me. I can't believe I used to wear size 5 jeans!

Where has the time gone by? At 21, I thought I knew it all. Little did I know that life has a long list of prerequisites before you can actually obtain a diploma on "maturity". In 21 years, I've learned the meaning of struggle, defeat, loneliness, confusion and sorrow. I've learned the true meaning of unconditional love, the joy of giving and receiving, the pain of a heartbreak, the never-ending sacrifice of a mother, patience and perseverance, hard work and reaping the fruit of one's labor. I've learned to be disciplined, to have courage, self-worth, accept imperfections, forgiveness of others and most importantly of one's self. I've learned to be true to myself, to have faith, to embrace change, to have hope and to pick my own battles. I've learned to love me as me, to accept others as they are and to empathize as well as sympathize. I've learned about raising children, to put little importance on material things and value the people I love the most. I learned to laugh, dance, be silly and make others laugh as well. Most importanly, I have learned the utmost meaning of allowing God to be the center of my life. I learned that spiritual maturity does not come with age, but with life's experiences and how you handle it.

I look at myself in the mirror and can't help but notice the gray hair popping out of my head, the fine lines on my face, the veins that invaded my once taught skin. I see the extra weight and body parts that started to fight gravity. I must admit, sometimes I wish I was 21 again. But the truth of the matter is, I like myself now much more than I ever did when I was young and energetic and carefree. Besides, who would be crazy enough to go back and retake all those prerequisites in life? I hope in another 21 years, I would have finally completed all of the course work mapped out for me. Imagine, finally graduating with honors and getting a degree in "life" itself. If I'm lucky, I might even be able to write about it