At 8, I wanted to turn 10.
So I would be double digits.
At 10, I was desperate to have a bat mitzvah.
So I would have my own tallit and feel an automatic upgrade in maturity.
At 12, I wanted to turn 14.
So I could proudly announce that I am in high school.
At 14, I wanted my acne to vanish.
So my looks would be tolerable.
Today, I want time to stop.
I want to turn 8, all over again.
Sometimes, I genuinely miss the past – a time when I was clueless about life.
When I was, just for once, “good enough.”
When GPA didn’t matter.
When college was merely a word.
When I didn’t hide my emotions.
When shaving was not required.
When I didn’t have to stand up for myself.
When I didn’t think about running away.
When my biggest problem was not having any.
I am excited about college, love and heartbreak, success and failure.
I am excited about life.
However, I want to live in the present, and this is what I’ll do.
I am turning old, one day at a time.
Jewish stories matter, and so does your support. The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.