Growing up

  When I grow up, I want to be a midwife. I suppose on some level, I am already grown up. Yet, here I am making this statement. I am still growing, still learning, and taking small steps on the path that leads me there.
   At times, I get frustrated to find myself nowhere near where I think I should be. It is as if I am on a moving train and have missed all my stops. I do not know where the train is heading exactly, but I am noticing that some of the stops that I thought I missed were illusionary. I am learning that I have the capacity to stop the train and map out my destination. When I arrive, I will know that where I am is where I intend to be.
    When I grow up, I am going to be a freelance writer. This was a declaration I made in an autobiography I wrote in the eight grade. I vaguely knew what a freelance writer was, but I knew when I became an adult it would be a role that I would enjoy playing. Yet here I am, in my early twenties, not quite a freelance writer, but somewhat getting there. I have read the same advice repeatedly concerning the initial steps I could take. In the midst of my anxiety concerning the future, I forgot to apply the advice given. It is as if the advice were merely reminders of something that I ought to do, but never got around to.
   When I grow up. I have read and witnessed the power of living in the present moment. Not worrying about the future, but rather taking advantage of every opportunity that I receive here and now.  Actively partaking in the goals I have set for myself and not allowing missed opportunities and perceived setbacks to deter me. I am learning to embrace all my experiences, regardless of the emotional chaos attached. I have experienced a variety of rich emotions and have had the glorious opportunity of watching myself blossom into adulthood. The greatest part of this journey is witnessing the breakthroughs and lessons that my fellow cohabitants have experienced and shared with me.