Adulting

I have so much on my mind today, and so many things I want to share. I will start simply.

I always wanted to grow up. I wanted to get out of childhood as quickly as possible. I remember, especially as a teen, when I would argue or fight with my parents I would say to myself, “Oh they have no idea. When I am an adult things will be so different. I will do things better, faster, etc. I will understand more. Life will be so much easier.” Boy was I WRONG!! Now, I do some things differently from my parents, but for the most part we are similar. They did know. They knew and understood so much more than I ever gave them credit for. Where did I go wrong with my thinking? Oh man, I had NO IDEA how absolutly difficult it is to be an an adult!

Being an adult is like the saying, “You cannot eat an elephant all at once, you do it a bite at a time.” Seriously as children if we knew what being an adult was like, we wouldn’t grow up. We would stay kids forever…maybe that’s why so many young adults are not leaving the nest these last few years…

There are so many reasons to grow up. First off marriage. I LOVE being married. I love having someone to always come home to, someone who will be honest with me no matter what, someone to love me unconditionally, someone to be on my side and work through this life with me, and SO much more. Honestly, I am lucky. After being with my husband for almost 22 years, I still pine after him. I still want him. He is my everything. (and sex is great! :)) Not everyone gets that, and not everyone wants it. However, I can honestly say that being married, the man I chose, are the best things I have ever done with my life. You have to be an adult for that.

Having my own home is another great reason to grow up. I love being able to run my own home. No one tells me how to decorate, what to cook, when to get up, how much to clean, when to clean, etc. etc. I get to decide. It is overwhelming and difficult and all of that, but it’s all mine. It’s my special place. It’s my place to change, accept or whatever. I may not love the exact house I have chosen to pay my mortgage on, but I love that it’s mine. My physical home is where I have been different from my mom and dad, and I’m okay with that. Some things I did choose to keep from theirs, but I run it differently. Partially because my husband is not like my family, and partially because it’s how I express myself. Hopefully I’m not hurting my kids in the process. One of the most important things I have learned from having my own place is that it is hard. The responsibility to own, take care of and love a home can take a serious toll on a person. You soon realize the gratitude you have for your parents and their care for their home and you. It’s expensive, time consuming, and so much more, but oh so worth it.

Children. I will certainly do a separte post on having children, but I love mine. They bring joy different from the joy of marriage, but similar. There is nothing to describe how precious a child is. How spiritual and amazing it is to carry, birth and raise a child. Holiness is the word that comes to mind for me here. Now, children are hard, I’m not going to lie on that front, but worth it. You have to be an adult to have children.

Now there are small things that I love about being an adult that really don’t matter, but they are my perks. I get to choose my own clothes. Yep, I know that’s vain, but I want to choose what I purchase, where I purchase it, and I want to wear what I like. I get to wear and do my hair and makeup however I want. I think it is so funny every time I dye my hair or part it in a non typical way and my dad tells me how he just wishes I would wear my hair naturally. Well, I get to choose, and what I like isn’t exactly what he likes, or my mom’s taste for that matter. I get to buy my own food. This for me is a big one. As a kid mom made dinner, did all the shopping and all of that. Thanks Mom! Even though I am grateful for that, I didn’t always like it or want it. I remember as a little kid sitting at the table with a yellow tupperware cup full of milk staring at it. I wasn’t going to drink it and my parents weren’t going to let me leave the table until I did. NOPE. A battle of wills. I won most times, because eventually one of the other kids would need attention and they would leave the room and I would pour it down the sink each time they did. HA HA! I still hate milk to this day. Food is emotional and wonderful and I love that I get to choose. I get to pick the car I drive-to an extent. Okay so I would love to own and drive a 1967 or 68 fully restored Ford Mustang, but I drive a practical van. I got to choose it though, and I love it. We do not make millions, so there are limitations, but I still get to choose within those. Yay! There are so many other things that I like about being an adult, including choosing job choices, finishing school, where I choose to live, whether or not I have a pet, being able to choose my own doctors, and so much more. What do you love about adulthood?