This week I had a revelation. I realized that I apologize a lot. I apologize for almost everything I do, even if it's not wrong. I'll tell the person behind me in line at the grocery store that I'm sorry for taking too long to put my wallet in my purse or my remaining bags in my cart. I'll apologize to my boyfriend for telling him how it really makes me feel when he ignores me all day like it's my own fault for having feelings. I'll tell my friends sorry for not responding quickly enough to their text messages because I work two jobs on top of being a full-time student and didn't have time to check my phone for a couple hours.

My point is this: us twenty-somethings don't need to apologize for everything. Sometimes I feel like it's just me that doesn't have my shit together, and I'm out here just stumbling around my life while everyone else seems to be so put together and know exactly what they're doing every second of every day, whereas I'm rushing to try to make my appointments and forget things unless I write them down. And you know what? That's okay.

Our twenties are supposed to be a time for us to figure it all out. We have to make mistakes in life to know where we went wrong. We have to show up late for appointments and miss a couple assignments to realize that our life might need a little more organization and structure. Sometimes you have to fall to realize that running isn't always the best option. Take a step back. Breathe. Regroup. We're all going through this thing called life at warp speed, and sometimes we forget to stop and take it all in.

I took a class a couple semesters back, and something that really stuck with me was when my professor compared human beings to a piece of paper. When we're born, we start off with a blank sheet, pristine and white with no flaws. As we get older and we make mistakes and have things that impact our lives, it's like a pen coming down on the paper, making marks that will never go away, sometimes even making holes in the paper that can never be repaired. And that's okay. The things that impact your life and change you make you unique and change you to become the person you're meant to be.

My point is this: we don't need to apologize for everything. Why should we feel guilty for being human? Part of the process of growing up is making mistakes, after all. Know the right time to say your sorry. Know when it's okay to not say it. Just because one person made you feel bad for taking too long in line doesn't mean that you are. Just because an ex made you feel like your feelings weren't valid, that doesn't mean he was right. We're learning. We're growing. Stop apologizing.