“This being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be”…If only I got paid for every time the above phrase has been spoken. For a large chunk of time, we anxiously WAIT to grow up. We want to be a teen, then we want to be 16 and able to drive, then its 18 we wait for, and once we reach 21, it seems most of the “numbers” we reach for, have been attained. After being “legal” we don’t rush age, we rush events; Marriage, Parent-hood and such are seen almost as trophies, or an accomplishment. We are often, so busy wanting and striving for the next thing, we don’t enjoy and fully appreciate, where we currently are.
Being an adult isn’t all its cracked up to be… FIRST because, If finding a “soul mate” (Such an overused word, in my opinion!) and becoming a parent, are the highest level of adult achievement, some of the things we run from – divorce, unemployment, strife, death, political and religious discussions (Ha!) seem to nip at our heels unmercifully. Speaking of, the few months before any Presidential election are some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. Both sides of the political scale are clawing, trying to tip each other over, first. There have been mass murders, religious arguments almost daily, and slaying of character from both political parties, in regards to each candidate and even people we all know and call “friends”…and the list goes on. It isn’t my place to tell you which side to be on, regarding any matter, but as I have said to several people, lately – If we as Christians, spent more time living out the two greatest commandments Christ gave us – to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves – there wouldn’t be time for all the judging, berating, arguing, and de-humanizing we are currently wasting our precious moments on.
Being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, SECONDLY because… PEOPLE ARE GONNA HATE! Yes, I’m going to “go there”. Did I eat at Chick-Fil-A this past week – on ANY day? No. I don’t eat meat. But when I did, and it came from a fast food restaurant, my preference was ALWAYS Chick-Fil-A. They simply have the best chicken, in my opinion. However, there are plenty of other people who hate Chick-Fil-A. There are also the same people who love and who also hate Wendy’s, and every other fast food chain. The point I’m trying to make is, we need to stop trying to make a point, all the time. If you like a restaurant, like it. If you don’t, fine. But the point goes for both sides of ANY issue. People have a right to speak out on what they think, and EVERYONE – those FOR gay rights and those AGAINST gay rights, those FOR gun control AND those AGAINST it, etc – needs to stop trying to change everyone else’s minds. Just because you are quoting scripture doesn’t make you God, and HE is the ONLY person who should be judging. Just because you sin differently from the person across the street, it doesn’t make YOUR sin any worse, or any better than their sin. In God’s eyes, a lie is just as wrong as murder and laziness.
Being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be….THIRDLY because, THERE IS NO SUGAR-COATING AS AN ADULT. Lately, it has been very unsettling to me that so many so-called Christ-followers (the definition of being a Christian) are at the very front of the lines, accusing people of sinning. Aren’t we sinning by judging? Stand up for your convictions, absolutely. But do it in love. Make sure the people around you know you are loving them first, and secondly, praying that God shows them a better way to live.
Being an adult isn’t all its cracked up to be, because NO MATTER HOW HARD I TRY, I WILL NEVER PLEASE EVERYONE… and I finally stopped trying. When I was a kid, people usually automatically liked me because I was a kid! It really didn’t matter what I did or said, it was viewed as “cute”. Not so much as an adult! Do I want people to like me? Sure. Do I hope to keep my friends? Of course! However, I am no longer willing to be a door mat, allowing people to walk on me over and over, without figuratively “vacuuming” every once in a while, to suck up all the dirt they left behind. I wouldn’t trade one second of my life, because even through the difficult times, I have learned more lessons than I ever did in school. I grew more than I ever imagined. I accepted that life won’t always go my way and I have embraced the changes that needed to take place. I am in a better place mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally, than I have ever been, and I am extremely excited about what the future holds.
Maybe I am different than how I used to be, and perhaps some people view this as a less-than-great change. However, I know what and how I believe, and am comfortable in my own skin. I am closer with my family than ever before, yet we give each other the necessary space, to grow and expand as needed. I have personally formed opinions on most any subject, but I am TRYING (I’m not perfect, people!) to keep unasked for opinions more to myself. On the outside, I may appear hardened and difficult to read, but when you peel back my many layers, and get to the “core” of my personality, I am the same happy-go-lucky, fun, dry-sense-of-humor girl I have always been.
To summarize, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself”. If we all did more of this, we would be liked more, stressed out less, and probably happier all the time =)