The most painful thing about growing up
Is not paying taxes
Though those do suck.
It's not even realizing all the regrets you harbor
Despite the fact that, you and immature and invincible,
You did all the stupid things you possible could
In order to avoid said regrets.
It's not seeing a familiar face or place or date
and thinking of all the
Could have beens and
Should have beens and
Would have beens if I'd only had the courage back then.
Yes, it is hard to hear the music you grow up on become "old school,"
the TV shows you adored pale in comparison to what's new (or vice versa),
and to realize you are as horrified by the children today
as your parents were of the children yesterday.
It can suck to cringe at mistakes you've made
and ache for the pain you've caused.
The piercings can close up
and even tattoos can be removed.
You can dye your hair back and
scrape off the eyeliner.
But you can never go back.
The worst part of growing up isn't even being away
from friends and family, in and of itself,
Because your mom will always be your mom,
and your little brother will always be your little brother,
even if he's not so little anymore,
and if your friends are worth half an ounce,
they'll still be your friends.
If they're worth a whole ounce
they'll even realize that 1800 miles is nothing to a phone.
No, the worst part about growing up
and going away
and getting on with your life
is the realization that
you aren't the only one moving forward.
That your family is still a family
even when you aren't there.
That your friends will make new friends
that will take your place
because you are not irreplaceable.
That the mailman will still deliver the mail,
and teenagers will still run that one stopsign, and kids will still pray for snow,
and the dig will still bark at the cat,
and the sun will continue to shine,
even when you are not there.
The worst thing about growing up
is learning you are not half as important
as you always thought you were.
And that life can, will, and does go on
without you
And you have to be okay with that.