When I first saw the word " revival," the first thing I thought of was religion. An awakening in a church community, the rebirth or strengthening of ones faith, etc... I never thought to look at this word at a different perspective, or even apply it to myself. Now, starting my third year in college (aka inching even closer to adulthood EW), I've found that revival is one of the only words I think about and apply to my growth as a human being.

I think I've had this word tattooed to my soul way before I realized what it actually meant. I grew up in a loving home but with a unique twist; having a brother with Autism. This "setback," as many would label it as, only lead me to constantly take an unpleasant situation and improve, recover, and upturn it. Revive it.

Re-viv-al, noun: an improvement in the condition or strength of something. If someone were to ask me what one of my major mantras were in life, this would be one of them. I have always taken pride in my strength and ability to overcome numerous obstacles, but I tend to dwell on my insecurities and setbacks, letting them consume me until I am in desperate need of a reminder that I'm only human. Although it is normal to be hard on oneself, it's important to pick up the shattered pieces, recover, and revive.

To me, being an adult is not all about paying your own bills, going to work, or starting a family. It's about accepting all that is in your life, good or bad, and never letting it tear you down. Just like the song, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," by Creedence Clearwater Revival, " There's a calm before the storm and when it's over, it'll rain a sunny day." Every hardship is temporary so pick up the pieces, improve, recover, and revive.