Gerascophobia (noun): An abnormal and persistent fear of growing old.

It's the same for everyone; one moment you're a clumsy, carefree child playing and laughing without a trouble in the world and then you wake up one day and you can't remember where the time has gone. It's like your whole childhood was just a vivid dream and every morning you lay in bed wondering if it was reality or fiction.

It's quite ironic, actually, how growing up works. We spend our adolescent days dreaming of our future and wishing it would approach faster. With bright eyes and open minds, we dreamt of going to school, getting a job, driving a car, or finding true love and eventually starting a family of our own. We played make believe in our minds to try to envision our future selves--boy, was it exhilarating. However, when the future actually arrives, we realize how naive that young child was. We long to be that eager, passionate, hopeful little kid again. I would be lying if I said growing up didn't have its perks, but nothing is more intimidating than the thought of your life quickly drawing near its end.

It's a scary thing, growing up. There are so many things to love about life, and thinking of it all ending some day is terrifying. One day you won't have your parents to turn to for advice, you'll have to move half way across the country from your friends for a job, you might not be able to be as active as you once were, or maybe you will just miss the stress-free life of a child.

One morning you'll be waking up asking yourself, "where did the time go?". Your life will come back full circle. Things will be simple again. You'll be surrounded by your sparkling, giggling, optimistic grandchildren. Your kids and their significant others will be sitting with you, telling silly stories about their children, talking about their jobs and their hardships, and all the while you'll be reminiscing on the days you were in their place, wishing you could relive it all.

Although it may be frightening, growing up is inevitable. While it can often become easy to crave the life you once had years ago, never forget to live in the present. Life is too short to yearn for something that has long passed, so take in each moment as if it were your last. Savor every single laugh, every conversation, every person you meet. Don't let fear engulf you. Instead, use every second of this short time on Earth that we are given and make it the best life ever. Never take a single second for granted.

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