Growing up is a trick. Avoid it at all costs!
The best thing about being young and innocent was not knowing about money. Monopoly money had the same value as real money in our 5 year old minds. If someone handed you money for your birthday, you were just like "what???" You look questioningly at your mom and she takes it for you.
But as a college student, you begging your family to skip bringing presents and you'll take their love and gratitude in the form of a gift card or bill. And if your moms trying to "hold onto it" for you, then you look at her like she's crazy.
When you were little, Christmas was all about magic and trying to stay up to get a peak of Santa. I swear Benadryl or Tylenol PM was slipped into drinks before bed, because I could never make it.
My brother and I would hop out of bed on Christmas morning by at least five am acting like we already went through two energy drinks. Last Christmas I was begging my mom to let me sleep past ten. And don't get me wrong, I love the socks and underwear filling my stockings, but nothing brings stars to the eyes like chocolates and barbies did to the younger me.
I think the biggest lie that I was ever made to believe was that I could be anything I wanted to be. School and family would always ask what we thought we wanted to be when we grew up and we would throw out an answer with such confidence and excitement.
Grown-ups would always respond that we could be anything we wanted to be. Like it was really that easy. They knew what a hard ride ahead it would be for us to achieve our 5-year-old dreams. I don't want to come off discouraging or say that with hard work great things can't be achieved. I just know that 19-year-old me is not only struggling to figure out what I want to be as I keep growing up, but also who I am.
We can't stop growing up or jump off the rollercoaster we're all on. All we can do is find a way to enjoy the ride and learn from our mistakes. BECAUSE WE WILL ALL MAKE MISTAKES! We cannot know the perfect moves to make and we will mess up. Unfortunately, we can't stay five forever. So we fight every day to be the person that our 5-year-old selves would be proud of and not lose that quirky, innocent part of who we are.
I wish you all the VERY best luck on your journey to grow grey hair!
