When you turn 18, you don’t get a free pass to adulthood.
It seems like you do because you can vote, you might be legal to consume alcohol depending on where you live, you have likely gained some independence by driving, and you finish grade school.
So we automatically assume we are then adults.
But growing up isn’t about turning 18.
Growing up is about being able to handle the hard stuff. It’s handling your emotions when they are taking over, it’s figuring things out, it’s getting your ass kicked and getting back up, it’s creating your life, it’s showing up, it’s teaching what you’ve learned, it’s having hard conversations, it’s choosing love, and grace, and joy when all you have are sticks and stones.
If you have made it to mid-life and you use an escape when life gets hard, you probably still have some growing up to do.
Escaping is avoiding whatever is happening. It looks different to everyone but it might be binge watching Netflix when you are supposed to be doing something else. It could be shopping and buying things simply to get the quick happiness boost or maybe it’s needing a glass of wine to unwind.
When you are a grown up you deal.
You handle.
You create.
You work.
You serve.
You set boundaries.
You are responsible for your emotions.
You stop waiting for someone else.
And you keep an open heart.
If you aren’t there yet, its ok.
It’s never too late to be a grown up… you are lucky you get the chance because it is a privilege.
And once you grow up, then you can choose to play, live, and laugh like a child.