I am tormented by the question: Are you a silver or gold jewelry girl? Instinctually, I want to say gold. My jewelry collection is stacked with gold in any form: rings, necklaces and earrings. Lately, I have been worried that I made the wrong choice years ago when I decided I must pick a side. Maybe I was supposed to be wearing silver this whole time, maybe it matches my skin tone better. It is too late to turn back now, per my stubborn nature, but I continue to think introspectively about my taste in jewelry. In my steadfastness, I have one thought on my mind: Am I really golden?
Looking at the numbers, I am golden. On April 22, I turned 22 years old, my golden birthday. A golden birthday, put simply, is when your age matches the day you were born, but it means so much more. Golden birthdays signify prosperity and earn their name by implying that this year you will “strike gold” in life. It marks a fresh start filled with promise and shining opportunities.
As time barreled towards my once-in-a-lifetime birthday, I could not help but feel lackluster. In fact, I felt an overwhelming sense of grief more than anything. Mere days after I celebrated another trip around the sun, I would be walking the stage graduating from SLU after starting my college journey in 2022 (another layer to the goldenness of 22). I have prayed for times like these, but now that it is here, I feel the suffocation of what is before me. The promise of a new opportunity is staring me in the face and I want to run.
“Opportunity,” “future” and “change” are three words that shake me to the core. I have known SLU for four years: what am I supposed to do now? School has been a constant in my life: what do I do now that I have no paper to write or perfect grade to chase? No more lunches with friends or debriefs with my roommate. No more strolls down West Pine while dodging golf carts. No more of the comforting routine of my day that defined my experience at SLU. I mourn this time that is slipping through my fingers.
What I did not mention about golden birthdays is the celebratory aspect. While they do signify a fresh start, it is also a time for reflection and to acknowledge your accomplishments. A golden birthday is an opportunity to look around at where you are and appreciate how you got there.
Throughout my time at SLU, I found my voice and published a total of 23 articles while managing a hectic workload. I was president of Her Campus at SLU (which, ironically enough, is a gold-level chapter). I made and lost friends, discovered who I am, worked a full-time job as a full-time student, learned new things and now will have a bachelor’s degree at the end of this long journey. I hate change and I am beyond stressed about this new chapter I am about to embark on, but maybe that stress is a good thing. Of course, I am still going to grieve my college years as they dwindle away, but this time has given me so many aspects of myself that will stay with me forever. At 22 years old, after April 22, I can say that I have already struck gold.
Gold is everywhere you look. It is in the sun, dawning a new day, or in the bloom of a sunflower. Gold can be hidden, like in the golden smiles of my friends and more literally, in the jewelry people wear. I am a golden jewelry girl, but you would not know why. The golden hoops that adorn my ears daily are my late grandmother’s. Every day I am reminded to have her strength, optimism and humor. Maybe I am meant to wear silver, but gold reminds me that the future is shimmering in front of me.
The future is terrifying, but it is also glimmering with the promise of new adventure. Even without celebrating a golden birthday, it is important to recognize that you are golden all the time. Savor the time you are in, but do not forget to embrace the future when it comes calling.
So yes, I am golden. This is my golden year. No matter how scary that sounds, I am ready to find out what sparkling things lie before me.