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As my birthday quickly approach, I caught myself thinking that I should vanish temporarily, remove my mirror and calendar from the wall, or even turn my phone off so as to avoid being reminded that I have to add another year when responding to the question "How old are you?" But the truth remains that there is no escape. Whether one has to confront the age of 30 or 60, adding another year is always not an easy process. It is foolish to even imagine that one could save himself from the torturing thoughts of getting older, just because the time to hear "Happy Birthday!" has come once again. So, what can one do? Pick up the phone and continue suffering those awkward moments of having to say "Thank you" when the only answer coming into mind is "Why did this not slip your mind?"

Don't get me wrong. I consider myself blessed to have friends and these friends calling me to celebrate the fact that I am alive. I do too when their birthday is up. But having to endure the realization that I have just gone through another year and experience the stage of having to estimate the process, usually also performed before New Year's Eve, is a nasty thing to go through when one is not properly prepared. So, how can you feel relaxed and answer with confidence the number that signifies your earthy existence? This is not a simple question. Scholars and psychologists, among many others, have studied the effects age has on one's mentality and life choices and the fact that it is a totally different experience to celebrate your 5th from your 85th birthday. Apart from being able to experience life with eyes full of bewilderment and although you feel grateful you have been able to see a friend, smell the roses, listen to the sounds your spouse makes while showering, and kiss your beloved ones as often as you like, you are still puzzled whether or not this "birthday deal" is a good thing for your mental health or it is just another occasion for you to consume and throw a party to invite over people you have not seen for a long time.

Well, it is both. It all depends on how well one can accept change that comes with age and if one is able to learn from life's lessons while coping with different challenges. There is always the possibility of accepting whatever life brings to your doorstep without extracting a lesson out of it. But this type of meaningless approach will leave you pondering on whether your birthday is actually a good or a bad day for you to remember. Even if you plan not to worry about your age the entire day of your birthday's anniversary, wondering if you could have done things differently during the year that has just been added to your life's journey is only a natural process you will go through at some point. Actually, it is this process that will lead you to know yourself better and find the way to grow old without loosing that feeling of happiness and bliss you used to carry around at the age of five before blowing the birthday candles.

One of the most famous quotes about old-age comes from Henry Frederic Amiel, who has once said, "To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom, one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living." It is an undisputable fact that you are the navigator of your life's vessel so the sooner you realize that it can go towards whichever direction you choose, the sooner you will spend some time signing along the cheerful birthday theme song and pose with a smile at your friend's camera.