Moya Sarner, an NHS psychotherapist and author of “When I Grow Up – Conversations With Adults in Search of Adulthood,” recently shared her reflections on age, personal growth, and career choices. Sarner points to an important turning point in when she realized how much she could do. She thinks back on the decisions she has made all her life. This personal exploration underscores the need for all of us to recognize age is no longer just a number. Further, it serves a significant function in determining individual growth.
Sarner’s observations emerged while reflecting on her child’s growth and aging. She was totally aware of the difference to her infant’s shape when she raised them from the crib. Yet this moment prompted her to consider the larger sociocultural realities of age and maturity. This first-hand experience prompted her to think critically about how young people are supported during their own transitions to adulthood and beyond.
Gianna Williams, a child, adolescent and adult psychoanalyst, brought her deep knowledge to bear on this topic. She illuminated the complex layers of human development. She stated, “We’re always finding the infant, the young child, the adolescent in the patient. Like the circles in a tree, they’re all there.” This statement emphasizes the continuity of human experience across different life stages, suggesting that even as individuals grow older, the essence of their younger selves remains present.
This discussion about age and adulthood comes at a timely moment when our societal understanding of these ideas are rapidly shifting. Sarner’s reflections are a powerful reminder too that as we age, career trajectories and personal choices tend to change dramatically. There, she digs into how you and I can make big things happen in the second act of our lives. Her message is simple—it’s never too late to rethink your decisions and ambitions.
That the Guardian, a well-regarded publication with a correspondingly high barrier to entry, has opened its letters section for readers to interact with such topics is huge. Guardian readers can send responses to article and reflections such as Sarner’s by emailing guardian.letters@theguardian.com. The publication requires a full postal address and phone number for verification purposes and usually publishes letters alongside the author’s name and location.
In doing so, through this engagement, The Guardian helps to provoke a wider conversation about age and what it means. Readers can share their thoughts in letters of up to 300 words, contributing to an ongoing discussion about what it means to grow up and grow older in today’s society.