Growing Up or Growing Old?

***Originally posted to cregarstyle on July 1, 2014***

Well....I have a feeling that this is going to be more of a ramble than a conscious flow.  It's official, yesterday was my birthday and I am 24 wonderful years old.  Or is it years young?  As my husband says "you're almost old".  I like to remind him that I will always be younger than him.

As my "special day" went on I realized something.  This was my first truly adult birthday.  Some could argue that I have one more year of youth (I'm still in college and will graduate next May!).  But to them I say, when your birthday falls on a Monday and you spend the morning mowing the lawn and the afternoon working on math homework instead of spending the day hanging out with friends and laying by the pool, you're celebrating an "adult birthday,"

It snuck up on me.  I thought I would have a few more years until I started to feel like my youth was slipping away.  It doesn't make me sad to see the blissful years of swim parties slip away, it is a necessary part of growing up.  However, it was a rather difficult pill to swallow.  Yesterday the highlight of my day (just the 9-5 hours) was sitting in the backyard trying to get some sun while Delilah ran around from sunbathing to her kiddie pool to lounging in the shade.  Oh youth!  I am very fortunate that I got to spend the day at home in the sun instead of inside at a job where it would just be another day.

This made me think.  As I am feeling like my youth is gone, I am not ready to be old.  I wondered, do we grow up or do we grow old?  I can fully accept that my life has reached the point where it is time to grow up.  I'm married, own a house, have a puppy, am on track for my college degree, and soon (hopefully) a career.  Growing up does not scare me in the slightest.  I am in love with my life.  But does growing up mean that I have to succumb to the mentality that I am "old"?  I refuse to do that.

Aaron successfully has a grown up life, but he also has the most childlike heart of anyone I know.  I envy that.  Sometimes I put more emphasis on my adult mentality than holding on to childhood bliss.  Now that I am "almost old", I think that I would rather focus on enjoying staying "young" while embracing that life goes on and I will "grow up" in the process.