Dear Luz #16

Writing By Luz Michelle

Artwork by Aeneas Eaton

Disclaimer: It’s okay to laugh – this is a humor column! We welcome your Dear Luz questions, but we’re legally obligated to say this is not a substitute for real advice by professionals.

Dear Luz,

I’m about to turn 25, and I feel like I’m already in the depths of a quarter-life crisis. Every choice I’ve made seems like the wrong one, and I have no idea where my life is headed. It’s unsettling to feel so young yet already weighed down by regrets.

To make things worse, it seems like everyone around me is getting married, having kids, and settling into solid careers—while I’ve just finished earning my master’s degree and have no clue what’s next. I can’t shake the feeling that I’m falling behind, and the uncertainty is suffocating.

How do I stop spiraling and make peace with where I am in life? Or better yet—how do I figure out where I’m supposed to go?

– A very desperate (and slightly panicked) 24-year-old woman

Dear 24-year-old,

Breathe. You’re 25, not expired. This isn’t a quarter-life crisis—it’s called panic comparing (yes I made that up; yes, it’s real), and comparing your life to others is like pouring gasoline on it.

You just earned a master’s degree—amazing! So what if your friends are getting married or having babies? That doesn’t mean you’re behind. It means your path is different, and guess what? That’s allowed.

No need to have it all figured out right now. You’re supposed to mess up, laugh, cry and panic-eat snacks at 2 a.m. That’s the fun part.

You’re not lost. You’re just living.

Dear Luz,

I’m a 24-year-old guy who graduated college last spring. I thought I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, but it’s been a year since graduation, and I don’t think I’m any closer to knowing the answers to these questions.

I was looking forward to my post-college “freedom,” but now that it’s here, it’s terrifying. It’s the first time in my life that I haven’t been in a structured environment that dictated who was around me and what I had to do. It sounds silly, but with all this freedom I feel like I need reassurance that whatever it is I’m doing, it’s the right thing, even if that “thing” is working at a coffee shop while I figure out my life.

– Struggling with the meaning of life

Dear Struggling,

You and the other 24-year-old must be splitting a comparing pizza and washing it down with existential dread. Cute.

Here’s the deal: Freedom feels weird because it is weird. You’ve spent your whole life being told what to do—now it’s your turn to figure it out. And guess what? Working at a coffee shop while you sort your brain out is exactly the right thing to do. Welcome to your “figuring it out” era. It’s messy, humbling and occasionally involves steamed milk.

To both of the 24-year-olds: Stop looking for a GPS. Life’s not a straight line—it’s a scavenger hunt with bad clues and surprise tacos.

Keep going. You’re ok, promise.

Dear Luz,

My childless friend keeps offering parenting tips like she’s auditioning for “Mom of the Year.” How do I politely—or not—get her to zip it?

– Parenting with Patience… Barely

Dear Patient Parent,

Ah, unsolicited advice—everyone’s favorite pastime. Next time, hit her with a casual, “Thanks for your concern, but I’ve got this.” It’s like a polite way of saying, “You have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’ll let you believe you do.”

Parenting isn’t a one-size-fits-all, and you’re in the driver’s seat. 

End scene.

Dear Luz,

My coworker microwaves fish in the office kitchen like it’s a victimless crime. How do I get him to understand he’s personally ruining lunch for everyone within a 30-foot radius?

– Gagging in Conference Room B

Dear Gagging in the Conference Room,

Microwaving fish at work is a war crime. Fight fire with funk—nuke something even worse. Tuna casserole? Pickled eggs? Let the scent war begin. Bet he’ll rethink his lunch choices real quick.

You’re welcome.

This article was published in the May/June 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.