I always found it interesting to watch the people I grew up around change as we proceeded to get older. I always liked watching who would end up dating who in high school and was always curious where the classmates that I graduated with would go after graduation. There’s just something unbelievable about time passing by in the blink of an eye.

When I was younger, it was always, “I can’t believe I’ll be in the double digits this year,” “I can’t wait to get my driver’s license,” “I’m graduating high school this year mom,” and “Before you know it, I’ll be starting my professional career.” At each one of these moments, I never really noticed just how fast it all happened. It feels like only yesterday my dad was teaching me how to ride a bike and now, 16 years later, I’m a junior in college getting ready to watch my baby sister start her freshman year of high school.

I really do think we take for granted our younger years, when life seemed much easier and where the biggest complication or struggle was what to wear on school picture day. That’s why the older generations tell the younger generations to enjoy being young while they can because before you know, you ARE the older generation.

It’s so weird to watch the people you grow up with get married and start their own families, too. I felt like this whole past year people were starting big parts of their lives and getting engaged/married left and right. While a big part of me was wishing it could be me and I could be the one finding that one person I’m supposed to be with for the rest of my life, another part of me was kind of disturbed.

I think it’s great that these people are able to find the strength to make brave decisions, I just can’t picture myself going through any of that. I’m still in college and I feel way too young to be getting engaged at the age of 21, let alone starting my own family. I have the upmost respect for the people my age (and younger) that are having to grow up earlier than they anticipated. I’m just glad I’m still in line to wait for that all to happen to me. I’m glad that I have the chance to live my life before I grow up any faster than I already am.

I know I can speak for lots of people my age when I say I’m fine with waiting for all those big moments to happen to me. Everything happens for a reason and at the right moment so why rush what God is intending to happen naturally? I’ll gladly wait for everything to happen one day at a time and in the meantime, I’ll enjoy watching everyone else be happy and actually be happy for them that their time to start their grown-up lives has already begun.