Ever since I was a little kid I never really wanted to grow up. My favorite movie was always "Peter Pan." I’d force my sister to watch it with me over and over again. Something about it always intrigued me. I understood where poor little Peter was coming from; who would ever want to grow up? Even with this thought always in my head, I’ve never been someone people would typically call childish, even though I do have my moments. I just never really wanted to get older. I was never really counting down to a certain age so that my life would be different or better. Don’t get me wrong; I love birthdays. But I never thought of them as exciting because of my age, only because of the celebration.
But as time goes on the inevitable happens because this is no Neverland. I have gotten older, and I will continue to do so. Recently I’ve graduated high school, and with that the thought of getting older is starting to gnaw at the back of my mind, constantly reminding me that time is moving fast and I’ve got to get on board. Until recently that thought has scared me. All the decisions and responsibilities that come along with growing up have never been something that I looked forward to. And it feels like I’m stepping into a place where I have no choice but to be an adult, no matter how much I wish I was still just a little kid.
A few days ago, though, when I was sitting around thinking about how little I wanted to grow up, it hit me that growing up is actually a great thing. It’s scary, yes. Leaving all your childish ways behind and learning to become your own person and provide for yourself is sometimes a terrifying thought, but it’s also freeing. Being able to move forward is an amazing thing.
Adulthood is the time when you make your dreams come true. Childhood is for the dreamers, but adulthood is for the doers. When you grow up you get the incredible opportunity to decide what you want from and for your life and you get to go after it. It will be hard, and you’ll probably fail a lot of times, but you’ll be working towards that thing you used to lie in your room and think about at night when you were just a little kid.
It’s hard to grow up. It’s hard to make decisions, and it’s hard to be responsible. And as much as those things can seem daunting and undesirable they truly are a blessing. Because when you are able to make your own decisions and pursue those things you’ve been building up to all your life the only thing standing in your way is how hard you’re willing to work.
We often think of childhood as the time when we’re idealistic and imaginative, where we believe that the possibilities are endless. But I think that adulthood is when we’re meant to be that way. Because that’s the time that it’s finally true. Growing up means turning your hopes into plans, your plans into actions, and your actions into successes. Growing up means finally becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be. And I think that’s an exciting thought. So happy adulting to us all, because our futures are very bright.
