The nicest thing about coming of age is that I can do whatever I

"The nicest thing about coming of age is that I can do whatever I like." — thus spoke Cilla Black, the songbird of Liverpool, whose laughter and warmth captured the hearts of millions. Behind this playful declaration lies not mere indulgence, but the profound joy of freedom, the triumph of a spirit that has grown through youth’s uncertainties into the strength of self-knowledge. Her words celebrate the moment when a soul, once bound by the expectations of others, stands unshaken and says, “I know who I am, and I choose my own way.” It is the music of maturity — not the fading of innocence, but its transformation into confidence.

In the style of the ancients, one might say: the child is the seed, but the adult is the tree that bends by its own will. Cilla Black, who rose from humble beginnings in the working-class streets of Liverpool to become one of Britain’s beloved entertainers, knew well the meaning of coming of age. She had lived the long struggle from obscurity to acclaim, from the uncertainty of youth to the authority of experience. In her early years, she sang in the same clubs as The Beatles, dreaming her way into the stars. But fame, as it often does, brought both glamour and burden — the weight of others’ opinions, the scrutiny of eyes that see only surface. Her words, spoken later in life, reflect the sweet release of those burdens: the realization that true freedom lies not in the approval of others, but in the quiet courage to live authentically.

“I can do whatever I like” — this is not the boast of arrogance, but the sigh of emancipation. It is the voice of one who has learned that self-acceptance is the highest form of liberty. For in youth, we are often chained by the invisible cords of expectation — the desire to please, to fit, to prove. We live for the gaze of the world, and in doing so, forget our own. But age, that gentle teacher, loosens those cords. It shows us that the world is too vast and fleeting to live by its judgment. What Cilla Black discovered, and what all who reach true maturity must learn, is that the greatest joy of growing older is the freedom to be oneself, unashamed, unhurried, and unafraid.

History, too, offers its mirrors to this truth. Consider Eleanor Roosevelt, who, in her youth, was shy, awkward, and overshadowed by her famous husband. Yet as the years passed, she stepped beyond his shadow and into her own light — as a diplomat, humanitarian, and voice for justice. It was said that in her later years, she spoke with a fearlessness that could only come from one who no longer sought permission to exist. Like Cilla Black, she had reached that sacred point of life where one’s actions are no longer dictated by fear, but by conviction. This is the true coming of age — not the counting of years, but the claiming of freedom.

And yet, freedom without wisdom is mere indulgence. The power to “do whatever one likes” must be guided by compassion, not selfishness. For maturity is not rebellion against all restraint, but harmony between desire and understanding. Cilla’s freedom was not wild or destructive; it was radiant and human. She could laugh, make choices, and live with joy because she had learned through time the value of both success and failure. Her coming of age was not an escape from responsibility, but a homecoming to authenticity.

The lesson within her words is clear: learn to grow into yourself. Let time refine you, not confine you. When you reach the season of confidence, do not fear to live as you wish — but ensure that what you wish springs from truth, not vanity. To “do whatever you like” is not to reject others, but to honor the self you have become. Live boldly, but kindly. Be independent, but not indifferent. This is the art of graceful maturity — to walk freely in the world, leaving no harm in your wake, only the echo of laughter and light.

And so, my child, remember Cilla Black’s joyful confession. To come of age is not merely to grow older, but to grow inward — to cast off the masks that youth demands and stand as you truly are. Seek this freedom, but earn it through understanding. Let your years teach you courage, and let your courage teach you peace. For when the day comes that you can smile and say, “I can do whatever I like,” you will find, as she did, that what you like most is to live with love, honesty, and joy — and that is the greatest freedom of all.