God, I love getting old.

Yes, my friends are all blogging about their babies. Yes, my hairs are getting grayer every day. My skin has become dry, I moan and groan when I bend over, I bitch about kids these days. But it's all worth it. This is not a half-hearted attempt at convincing myself that the best is yet to come. This is me, feeling whole in my own skin. Not needing approval. Experiencing someone's neurotic coping mechanism and feeling amused curiosity, instead of hurt feelings. I used to cry a lot, and it was like a hurricane - I had no control, and I felt it so deeply, so painfully. Now my skin is thick but I haven't lost my ability to feel empathy or love. Aging is awesome.

There is a person in my life who I've allowed to control my emotions since childhood, and I finally turned off the switch - it feels good. I feel evolved. And surprisingly, I feel a bond with this person - an understanding for the reasons behind the bad behavior, a forgiveness that this person has never asked for, but needs just the same.

Quitting smoking, a daily 30 minute jog-walk, a reasonable diet and GNC Vita-packs have propelled me into a near-euphoric state. I feel good all the time. I mean, all the time! I feel smarter, physically strong, mentally well, and super optimistic.