Image Source: myRepublica 

Remember how all we wanted to do as kids was grow up and do "grown-up" things? We spent our entire childhood fantasizing about what we would do when we "grew up", and now here we are nearly grown-up, still undecided about what we want to do with our lives. We've painted this gorgeous picture of what life will be like when we grow up in our thoughts, and when the time comes to take the painting down from the wall and put it into action, it's not nearly as much fun. What does it mean to become an adult? Does it mean washing your car, paying your bills, and finding a job? Does it mean getting married, having children, and growing gray hair? Is everyone capable of it? Is it going to be hard and will it be worth the effort? All of these circumstances likely affected Peter Pan's decision to never leave Neverland.

 Life was so much fun while I was a kid, whatever the case all I wanted to do was grow up. I was always fascinated by all the great and interesting things that adults were able to do. My anticipation grew with each passing year because I was getting closer to being an adult. Now that I'm about to become one, I wish I could be a kid again. It’s quite amazing how fast our opinion can change.  As we become older, we find that growing up isn't always as simple as we imagined. Growing up was formerly thought to be the goal to aim for, and that once achieved, life would be much better. We laugh because we thought growing up was the most amazing thing to do, but now, more than ever, we yearn for our youth; for the days when we would sit in the grass and daydream about who we would be when we grew up; and finally, for the days when life was simple and we could imagine it any way we wanted it with no one stopping us. 

So when does a person become an adult? There's no clear answer to the question, but some say it starts when they turn 18 and others say it starts when they get their license. One thing is certain: to become an adult, you must be mature and ready to face the challenges of life. Developing a distinct identity, being able to support yourself and/or your family financially, and having a home or a place to call home are all hallmarks of adulthood. To be an adult, you must become responsible, so that you may learn and accept responsibility for your own lives and learn from your mistakes. What are your talents and weaknesses? What are your core beliefs? If a young person enters adulthood with a strong sense of self, he or she should have no trouble forming an emotional identity that is distinct from that of their previous family members. As an adult, many mature decisions must be made and you may not always have a mentor to help you. You must choose a career, have personal goals, and accumulate sufficient means to support yourself. These are significant choices since you will be living with them for the rest of your life. 

There are many factors that influence a person's transition to adulthood, and just thinking about it makes me nervous. What are my chances of meeting all of the prerequisites and sailing through adulthood in a boat without sinking like the Titanic? I'm honestly not sure, but I'm praying for the best.  Finally, I'll admit that the start of this new chapter in my life has both terrified and thrilled me. I wish time would slow down so that I could prepare more fully, but we all know that time does not wait for anyone. I understand that my adult life will be full of challenges and difficult decisions, but I will do my best to enjoy the ride.