I’ve always considered myself young at heart. I love being playful, joking around, pulling the occasional practical joke, and laughing — laughter truly is my medicine. At 57, I feel most alive when I’m around funny people who don’t take life (or themselves) too seriously.

But it’s taken me a long time to become young. Picasso once said, “It takes a long time to become young,” and I feel the truth in that every single day.

I didn’t get much of a chance to be young when I was actually young. Growing up, I was expected to take care of myself, my siblings — and sometimes even my mom — from a very early age. I don’t remember ever feeling like a carefree kid.

If I wanted money to go to the movies, my dad was happy to help me figure out how to earn it — but never the kind of dad who just handed it over. And when my mom had two more kids when I was around ten, it quickly became a family group project, with me assigned partial custody of my little brother. It was just normal back then, and because of it, he and I share a special bond.

When I decided to move to Austin after high school for college, I handled that too — financially and logistically. There was no “team” helping me navigate it. I just figured it out.

Somewhere along the way, I started craving what I never really had — the feeling of being carefree, lighthearted, kid‑like. So, I decided to create it for myself.

Now, I work to find the balance between being professional, responsible, and still a little bit silly. It’s much easier — and more natural — for me to be a grown‑up. I’ve been one most of my life. But being playful? That’s where the joy lives.

So, as we all keep adding candles to our birthday cakes, my hope is that we also keep learning how to become young. Have love that feels like young love, laughter that’s loud and contagious, and fun that keeps you fully present.

It’s easy to get older — but it takes wisdom, courage, and maybe a few inside jokes to grow into youthfulness.

Here’s to aging backward — at least in spirit.

XX,

MG