As a 19-year-old, I have found that everyone is in a hurry to grow up. You can’t wait to turn 16 and get your driver's license or when you are 18 and you are leaving for college. We are all so busy trying to grow up that we don’t stop and enjoy our youth. It hasn’t been until recently that I have come to appreciate my youth because I know that I will not always be 19. I know that one day, I will have grey hair and wrinkles. At that point in my life, I don’t think I would want to hurry and grow up anymore, and I will have to live with all of my choices and how I spent my years as a kid and teenager. To me, there comes a time in everyone’s life when they wish that they didn’t grow up so fast. You are going to miss those times baking cookies with your grandma or taking the annual family beach trip. I am here to tell you to enjoy life and to not wish away your youth.

I have come to appreciate exercising in my life, especially running. Running outside brings me peace and I almost always see other people running too. I appreciate running and try to do it as often as I can because I know that there might be a time in my future when I may not be able to run anymore. Whether it is something as simple as running, playing basketball or playing soccer, being active should be appreciated by those who are young. It may seem silly, but to me, it means a lot.

Another component in our youth that should be appreciated is your family. Your parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and all other relatives should have a great deal of importance in your life due to the fact that these people not only share blood but also have been there for you when no one else was. People are in such a hurry to graduate and leave for college that they don’t realize the day their parents drop them off is the day everything changes. Appreciate your parents and those who have raised you because as much as you want to be independent and create a life of your own, your parents still view you as the three-year-old girl who played with Barbie dolls.

I have found that it is OK to watch Disney movies with your friends and to crawl in bed with your mom just because you want one of her hugs. It is the little things in life we take for granted that we eventually wish we didn’t. My advice for you is to go run even when you would rather watch Netflix, give your grandparents an extra hug, enjoy your family, and don’t get too caught up in the future. It is important to live in the now because there are so many more opportunities in front of us than if we are constantly thinking about our future. Above all, don’t forget who you are and where you came from.