at what age do you officially become a woman?

it's here.
today is my 28th birthday.

so have i technically graduated from "girl" to "woman?"
i hardly feel like a grown-up,
yet in many ways i feel so very old.
28 doesn't seem to fit these days.

most of my days i still feel like an adolescent,
trying to figure out who i am, what my dreams are,
what my strengths and weaknesses are.
i am quite moody, shifting from crying to giggling
within seconds.

other days i feel like i've been here for decades.
i have a terrible memory, forgetting most of my life,
i hate loud and noisy concerts,
i'm constantly saying "kids these days...",
and i ache to travel back to the "good ol' days"
{even if those days are myth}

though most days i am quite confused about my age
i have days every now and then that i cherish.
these are the days when i feel i truly am
an "age-old tree"...

a feeling that i have existed long before the earth
and that i will continue on long after the earth
has disappeared.
these are my "enlightened" days.
no fears enter my heart.
only peace and gratitude and awe.
isn't it amazing to be alive?
to watch birds fly,
to feel the earth move
and to see good people all around.
i like this "ageless" age the most.

so here i am.
28 years old.
a woman...almost.

{self-portraits. october 2009}