You ever have those sudden realizations when something hits you and it changes the way you think entirely? Well, that recently happened to me and I started thinking a lot about my life and how I spend my time. As you get older, it's no secret that things change. Things you used to enjoy as a kid may not be the things you enjoy as you get older or the way you used to think as a child definitely is not the mentality you have throughout your adulthood. But, one misconception people seem to have with growing up is that you outgrow relationships. While that may be true in some cases, it definitely is not true for the people that matter. How do you know which people mater and which don't? Well, the people that stick around you are usually the ones that matter and that is where my realization came into play just the other day.
The relationship I have with my mom is definitely an important one. As a little girl growing up my relationship with my mom has always been a positive one. In fact, I was so secure in the relationship I shared with my mom that I always felt for the people who didn't have good relationships with their mom. As I grow older, my relationship with my mother remains healthy, but I realized that I often let the hectic schedule of "growing up" get in the way of making my mother feel as secure in our relationship together as I am.
Just the other day, my mom and I went to a concert together and as we were walking in she said, "I bet you wish you were with your friends rather than your old mom." My heart immediately broke for her because yes, I may be getting older, but since when did that mean I didn't want to spend time with my own mom? While I realize I wasn't spending a lot of time at home and with my parents, it doesn't mean that I didn't want to. There's a difference between not having the time (because everyone does have different schedules and agendas) and not wanting to be with your mom or parents just because you're getting older. Society has put this stigma around teenagers and how they all go through the "rebellious stage" and how that automatically means we forget about our parents and resent even being around them. However, I don't ever want that stereotype about teenagers to ever be relevant to me, but when my mom assumed I didn't want to be with her, I realized I let my life get in the way of that and fed into the stereotype.
Grow up. Get a job. Find new hobbies. Make new friends. Make yourself great. But, don't ever let growing up and being great get in the way of what's important because when things go wrong or don't go as planned, you're going to need someone to lean on. Whether that is your mother or not, you need some support and if the person you rely on the most is even half as important to you as my mom is to me, then you're gonna need them now and you're gonna need them years from now. One thing you never grow out of is the people that make you happy.
