Daily writing prompt

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

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I feel like this is a hard topic. There is never just one moment where you feel grown up. A lot of the time I still feel like I am 16. But there are several moments that hit me and I realize, wait, I am no longer 16, I am a full-fledged adult. Those moments hit randomly in life. Some really stand out.

That first time you live on your own. Wait, I can do whatever I want? No one can tell me when I can get up or when I can go to bed? I can eat cake just because I want to? There’s no one to stop me. The responsibility comes later. The get up and go to work. Go to bed because you have to go to work in the morning. Eat better because that cake gave you a stomachache. All of that are the consequences you learn.

The first vacation you took without your family. That you planned on your own. You paid for it. You got yourself to the airport or drove the car yourself on the road trip. You booked the hotel. You could buy whatever souvenirs you want or spend your money on whatever tourist trap you want and no one was there to say you can’t do that. You made all your own decisions the entire trip, even if you were planning with friends, it was still your decision to make.

Getting married. You make decisions with your partner in life now. Major life decisions go through your spouse, not your parents. Going back to school is going to require your partner’s support, not your parents.

Having children. Someone else is fully dependent on you. You make all the decisions for another human being. You are now the adult in the room. You decide on schooling, on shopping, on screen time, on consequences, everything. You are who they run to for help and love and guidance.

Getting a promotion at work. Realizing that you make decisions and are the one that tells people yes or no in their job. You are no longer a teenager in their first job following blindly, but you have experience and know what you are doing.

All of these add up. Sometimes I still think of myself as a 16 year old. And then I think of my life and I realize that 16 was a long time ago. I really am an adult. And I should start acting like it.