Growing Pains

I think we’ve all been a little terrified of growing up too fast. There is a mindless beauty to ignorance. Not knowing everything, asking questions, endless curiosity, all of what drives us towards the unknown with no fear of getting hurt. I miss that. Not thinking twice or second-guessing, just...going. But to our dismay, regardless of if we want it or not, we all grow old, we all learn the hard way.

The growing pains, they’re relentless. They are your first heartbreak, they’re the first time your father and mother fight and all you can hear are the sounds of breaking glass and thuds echoing against the walls, it’s when your friends pick up and leave you without any explanation, and when some boy who’s supposed to be your best friend takes advantage of your body when you least expect it. It’s feeling everything at once, to a point where you swear you’re numb, and before you know it you realize that you’ve set a guard up, with walls that are harder than steel and higher than the clouds. Have you, as a reader, ever felt that? Have you felt like Atlas, carrying the world on your shoulders? Little do we know, not all of that weight is ours to carry. Human beings, however, are comprised of stardust and complexities. Despite the troubles and our constant need to be understood, we all wrangle up the courage and strength to wake up each and every day hoping that it offers us something new, something to cling on to. One day, it will.

As scary as growing up is, as well as how heavy the burden may be to carry the weight of your actions, your struggle is your story. Make sure to fall, trip, and stumble as often as you need to, with or without a safety net. Put your phone down sometimes, you’d be surprised how much we miss out on by being sucked into it. Have dinners with your family, realize that through everything, no matter how big or how small the problem is, they’ve got your back. Learn as much as you can in as short amount of time as possible, travel frequently, even if it’s a short trip to the grocery store, kiss the girl, quit your job, make music, write books, do whatever the hell you want to, but be nice to one another. Respect is free, and it’s the best thing that can always be offered, even if you think that you have nothing to bring to the table. It’s the Golden Rule, treat others as you wish to be treated. This world is filled with so much hurt, and growing up is already heavy enough, make things a little easier on yourself. You’ll be glad you did, I promise.

If I’m going to end this with anything, it ought to be the truth, so here it is: there’s not a moment where I don’t miss the sound of my mom blaring ACDC’s "Highway to Hell" and holding up an air guitar like her life depended on it, or how my dad would always be the first one to crack a joke the minute I stepped into the house. Even if I was so mad, I swore that in that moment laughing was the last thing that came to mind. I did it anyways. They’re my living, breathing proof of growing pains. They’ve gone through so much with and without one another, but they’re still only focused on the silver lining, and laughing so hard you’d bet they’d be laughing to the grave. So make this life as fun as you can. Hold that child-like imagination and curiosity as close to you as possible, they’re the only weapons you’re given to get through it.

Good luck, you’ve got this.