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1、1.RememberingtheAgesThisweekend,Ivolunteered1togivemyfriend,Liza,ahand2withherfiance's30thbirthdaygift.LizawantedtosurpriseJameswitha30-minutevideobiography3thatcaptured4thehighlights5ofhislife.Solastweek,shecalledhisparentsinNewYorktoaskforpicturesfromJames'childhood.Twodayslater,aboxarrivedo
2、nLiza'sdoorstep.AsLizaandIporedover6thesephotos,puttingtheminchronological7order,itdawnedon8mehowlife-definingbirthdaysare.Theynotonlymarkthedaywecameintothisworldbutalsoserveassignposts9forimportantmilestonesinlife.InAmerica,thefollowingbirthdaysareespeciallymeaningful: ONEWhetherwerememberi
3、tornot,mostofushadaveryhappyone-year-oldbirthday,atleastourparentsandfamilydid.Ourfirstbirthdayisanoccasionforourparentsandlovedonestocelebrateandtelltheworldthatthey'vehadusforonewholeyear.Hooray! SIXTEENSweetSixteen,SweetSixteen?What'ssosweetaboutthisbirthday?Perhapsbecausesixteenmarksourco
4、mingofage,whichistheinterim10periodbetweenchildhoodandadulthood.It'saverybriefanduniquestageinourlives.Atimewhenwearebecominganadult,yetstillhaven'tlostourchildhoodinnocence.Thebestofbothworlds.ActuallySweetSixteenappliesmoreoftentogirls'16thbirthdaysthantoboys'.Atthatage,agirlisonthevergeofbe
5、comingawoman.Pictureaflowerbudabouttobloom,openingitsfacetotheworldforthefirsttime.There'sasenseofbeautyandsweetnesstothistransition.Our16thbirthdayisthefirstdaywecangetourdriver'slicense.It'stheofficialsteptowardbecomingamatureperson.Fromthisdayforward,wenolongerneedourparentstodriveusaround,
6、takeuseverywhere.Instead,wejustborrowtheircar.Maybethat'swhatmakessixteensosweettotheboysastheyeagerlycelebratethisnewfoundautonomy11.Nowtheycandrivewithoutadultsupervision!Haa,haa! EIGHTEENThisisthedaywebecomelegaladultsintheeyeofthelaw.Wecannowassumefullresponsibilityforallaspectsofourlives
7、.Wenolongerneedourparents'consenttogoonfieldtrips12,torentaR-rated13movie,tohaveamedicalproceduredone,togetmarried,etc.Ifateacherhasaproblemwithourgrades,hecomesdirectlytous.Andifadoctorwantstodiscussamedicalcondition,hespeaksonlytous.
