Growing up

[SM_Pow]

I am currently registering for my first year of college classes and will be 18 in a few days. All of this has made me realize how much I don't know about the world. I'm still a child. How am I about to legally be an adult? I feel unprepared and inexperienced in life; almost like I'm being thrown to the wolves. I've always been independent. I potty trained myself. I would wake up in the middle of the night and make my little sister her bottle and feed her and then put her back to bed by the time I was four. At six I was cooking dinner and doing my own laundry. So why is it now, the age of adulthood, that I feel like a child? It make my internally cringe and laugh whenever I see a 15 year old boast about how they're almost 18 and so mature and grown up. I was like that at that age. Now, as I am days away from being a legal adult, I realize how ignorant I was at the time. I have decided that I am too young to an adult and will gladly wait a few more years to take the role.

[DATo]

My dear SM_Pow,

The word "adult" is a relative term. You displayed more of the attributes of responsible adulthood at six years of age than many I have known who were twenty-six. A birthday is only a day. With regard to the event which causes you concern it is merely a time fixed by law to delineate the passage from childhood to adulthood for legal purposes. It in no way changes you from the person you were the day before, but I'm sure you already know this.

Entering adulthood is merely a passage - a transition from one era of your life to another - a passage we all go through. There will be other transitions as you get even older. As you may judge from the picture on the left I have entered a new phase of my life too. They call me now a "senior citizen". Like you, I'm not sure I like the fact that an irretrievable phase of my life is forever gone, but, on the other hand, I welcome the senior citizen discounts I receive at restaurants *LOL* That's pretty much the whole idea expressed in an aphorism. At each phase of our life we trade some things away to get other things in return.

Frankly I envy you. You are embarking upon an exciting voyage of discovery in which you will bring to bear all of the experiences of your childhood, and judging from the description of the childhood you have narrated above I think you will be well-prepared to deal with this new phase of your life. Rather than being intimidated by what may await you step boldly into the future and make it your own. There will be good times and bad. By the time you get to be my age you will understand that even the bad times have their uses. They will steel you and make you mature in ways you cannot understand yet and in time you will come to know that these events as well are part of the glorious cacophony we call Life - that they too are angels sent by Providence to bring you understanding and, perhaps in time, the glimmerings of wisdom.

Now that you have survived all the gloom and doom I have written above let's also consider the other side of the coin. Life also offers experiences which can make our souls soar above the clouds in the form of friendships, loves and triumphs both large and small. Each new day offers exciting possibilities for growth and the awe to be found in the beauty of nature and within the hearts of others. Step carefully but confidently into the adulthood which awaits you. It is a good world despite what they tell you on the 6 o'clock news, but more importantly for you to know is that it is a world which is largely a result of your own creation and attitudes.

May I be the first to wish you a very HaPpY birthday !

[Fran]

First let me add my birthday congratulations - have a great 18th (it only comes around once!)

I agree with DATo & I think you will have some great experiences in college. It is perfectly normal to feel slightly apprehensive when moving into new and unfamiliar territory but I'm willing to bet in a few months you will wonder what you worried about. Keep in mind that all the new friends you will make are all equally apprehensive - some are just better at hiding it.
It's actually kinda refreshing to hear an almost 18yr old who doesn't think they "know it all".
Forgive me if I'm wrong but I got the impression from you post that perhaps you missed out on a lot of childhood, if that was the case I hope your college years will make up for it & "may the road rise to meet you".

[rssllue]

I think you are off to a better start on your journey into adulthood than you realize. Seeing your own inadequacies is quite the blessing. We all have flaws and areas where we have failed. To realize that we are not perfect or that we have it all figured out, is to be grounded in truth and the reality of our lives. It is actually a good thing.
Get excited! You are still alive and open to learning more about yourself! You have so many new experiences headed your way that you won't believe how much they will shape you in the coming years. If you don't already, start keeping a journal so you can look back on how much you have gone through throughout the rest of your life. May God bless your journey with His grace!