I am twenty-five years old. And now more than halfway through my twenty-fifth year, I still hesitate to think when people ask my age. Twenty-five doesn't seem right. It doesn't seem real. The word does not come to my lips naturally. I can't be twenty-five! I'm too immature, I drink, I stay out late, I make mistakes, I usually avoid adult conversations if I can.. etc. etc. This is not the behavior of a twenty-five year old.
During my job this year as a Resident Assistant to a study abroad group of UCONN students in Cape Town, one student came to me one night with worries and anxieties over mistakes made and lessons not learned. She looked to me for advice, and I told her only what I have found to be true; that with every year of my life, I have changed tremendously. And as we sat on the roof of our house, looking at the starry sky over Cape Town, I told her that learning doesn't happen in an instant, and it doesn't happen right away. Learning needs time. That maybe you will learn from a mistake years down the road. Or years down the road you finally realize what you thought was actually not a mistake at all, but a hurdle given to you to test your strength and mold your character. I told her that she must still embrace her impulsiveness but also trust her gut. And the fact that we are having this conversation shows maturity and wisdom in her. When I hugged her goodbye in the airport after a few amazing months later, she told me she will always remember that conversation and keep the advice I gave her. Her words brought me to tears.
I was thinking back about this conversation today, and I realized just how much growing up I actually have done. I should feel comfortable saying I am twenty-five, and say it with dignity and confidence. Looking back at the year 2013, I am proud of my accomplishments. I have completed an internship in South Africa and an MSW. I have started a life living on my own in Spain. I have started to figure out what I want and what makes me happy. It seems the year of 25 has been like a swing; as I teeter between my lower and upper 20's, I have moments of impulsiveness and youth, and I am also overjoyed to be making adult decisions and looking to the future with energy. As I enter the year 2014 I feel ready for another year of growth and of bettering myself.
Although I'm sure that right when I feel comfortable saying I am 25, I will be 26! EEK
During my job this year as a Resident Assistant to a study abroad group of UCONN students in Cape Town, one student came to me one night with worries and anxieties over mistakes made and lessons not learned. She looked to me for advice, and I told her only what I have found to be true; that with every year of my life, I have changed tremendously. And as we sat on the roof of our house, looking at the starry sky over Cape Town, I told her that learning doesn't happen in an instant, and it doesn't happen right away. Learning needs time. That maybe you will learn from a mistake years down the road. Or years down the road you finally realize what you thought was actually not a mistake at all, but a hurdle given to you to test your strength and mold your character. I told her that she must still embrace her impulsiveness but also trust her gut. And the fact that we are having this conversation shows maturity and wisdom in her. When I hugged her goodbye in the airport after a few amazing months later, she told me she will always remember that conversation and keep the advice I gave her. Her words brought me to tears.
I was thinking back about this conversation today, and I realized just how much growing up I actually have done. I should feel comfortable saying I am twenty-five, and say it with dignity and confidence. Looking back at the year 2013, I am proud of my accomplishments. I have completed an internship in South Africa and an MSW. I have started a life living on my own in Spain. I have started to figure out what I want and what makes me happy. It seems the year of 25 has been like a swing; as I teeter between my lower and upper 20's, I have moments of impulsiveness and youth, and I am also overjoyed to be making adult decisions and looking to the future with energy. As I enter the year 2014 I feel ready for another year of growth and of bettering myself.
Although I'm sure that right when I feel comfortable saying I am 25, I will be 26! EEK
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| Words of wisdom for my fridge |
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