Recently, I turned 21 and this is the age that everyone looks forward to. Even though 18 is the age that you become an adult, technically you are not an adult until you turn 21 because you get all of the adult privileges. Therefore, 21 is a big deal for everyone.

At this age, we are legally allowed to buy and consume alcohol. With being a college student, I can tell you for sure that majority of the people I know do this when they turn 21. However, everyone thinks that it is not considered "normal" to not drink when you turn 21. Why is this such a big deal? Why can we not accept those people like me who choose not to drink at 21?

I am newly 21 but I have never seen the big deal on drinking. I will say at one point that I did consider it because it was something that "everyone does" on their 21st birthday. However, after sitting down and thinking about it hard, I have realized it was something that I did not want to do after all. The only reason I wanted to do it was because everyone else was "doing it."

I also came to the realization that it was something I never wanted to do in the first place. While it is great that I am 21, I have been through some stuff that has made an impact on my decision. Throughout the last couple of months, I went through a lot of things in my life such as having health issues, stressing through my courses, still trying to recover from an accident, personal issues, and so on. Going through that has made me realize that through all that I went through, God was there for me every step of the way.

Through the tough times and the countless times I broke down, He was there to pick me up and to push me to do better. I owe it all to Him. I owe it to him that I have lived another year on this Earth and that I am a stronger person that I was a few months ago.

He had an impact on my life and I am so grateful for that. I owe it to Him and to myself to not drink on my 21st birthday. Instead, I wanted to have fun without consuming alcohol and appreciate life to the fullest, and that is exactly what I did.

I can proudly say that on my 21st birthday, I did not drink. Instead, I thanked God for another year to be here. Instead, I celebrated my birthday with the people that mattered most to me.

That is all that matters to me in my life.