growing up.

"all children, except one, grow up." - j.m. barrie {peter pan}

i love the story of peter pan. the boy who would never grow up. it's definitely in my top 5 favorite books AND movies, no matter which version. yet, unlike peter pan we all have to grow up someday. and i'll be the first to say this is not an easy task by any means. just when you think you've got it all figured out, you realize you really have nothing figured out, at least not for long. i guess that's part of the excitement of life. taking life one day at a time, taking the lessons from each day and moving forward and following your dreams.

you know you're growing up when...

* people you have known since elementary school are getting 'in a relationship', getting engaged, and married. while you're still single. :)

* your favorite music as a teen, {aka hilary duff, lonestar, jericho road, faith hill} is no longer your favorite. in fact, you don't particularly enjoy it at all. yet, some music will never get old. {jump5, james taylor, the carpenters}

* the boys you used to think were 'perfect' are actually the guys you would never think twice about now because they were actually not that 'perfect' do begin with.

* realizing you really don't know what you should do with your life, even though you thought you did at age 11.

* figuring out that choices, do not in fact, get easier the older you get. they get harder.

* the friendships you had when you were younger will never be exactly as they were. even with those you most care about.

* you finally understand that not everything is always about you. you actually have to think about others too.

* finally understanding that not every one is going to like you. and that's ok, because you're still ok just the way you are.

"dreams do come true, if only we wish hard enough. you can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it." — j.m. barrie {peter pan}