As We Grow Older

What happens to us as we grow older? Ask my kid sister this and she'd probably offer a response along the lines of "Stuff stops being cool." If that is what is meant by learning life's lessons the hard way, however, I suppose Kathryn is much wiser than I give her credit for.

But I think that's really what it's all about: how we deal with the lessons we learn in our ever-increasingly confusing lives. I mean, let's face it - life's one long journey, and we don't know where the hell we're going, or how we're going to get there for that matter. We can map out our destination and make all the detailed plans we want, but there's no insurance plan for those detours and bumps in the road that we all inevitably face. What we eventually end up with is never what we expected in the first place; sometimes for the better, many times for the worse. Realizing what reality truly is and learning how to adapt to it is a dire necessity in surviving adulthood. It is now that I see the truth in the words of my mildly hickish Kansas family: "Shit happens."

Those same words now echoing in my mind, I reflect upon the meaning of adaptation. We learn how to make mistakes, how to learn from those mistakes, and how to avoid them as best we can. We learn to pick ourselves up after what has seemed like our world crashing into pieces before our very eyes. We learn that, yes, it's okay to shed some tears over the loss of something we trusted, cherished, and held close to our hearts; yet every ending brings with it a new beginning, a second chance, a new opportunity to give your life the meaning you've always envisioned for it. We learn how to stand on our own two feet, let go of blame, embrace forgiveness, and rediscover happiness. We learn how to show our appreciation and dedication for those we love, because without them you wouldn't be who you are today.

It is now that you glance in the mirror, realizing the person you are today isn't the person you were yesterday. Something has changed... if only you could put your finger on just what that was. I wish I could.