The Pros and Cons of Adulthood

So I have been thinking about this a lot. I see all of these facebook memes that say something along the lines of “Why did I ever want to be an adult” or “I have thought about running away more as an adult then I ever did as a child” ect.

These are funny and I totally understand why people would say them…they aren’t lost on me. I wish I could feel the same…my childhood was a nightmare..that still haunts me to this day. So I would NEVER-EVER wish to go back to that…it was abusive and never ending insanity…and if I ever need a reminder I can just have a 30 second convo with a few of my siblings or my birth mother. ( I choose not to)

But When I think about my children …and how they had an awesome childhood…and they are making poor choices….I wonder why? I am trying not to dwell in that…just accept it and understand that none of it is my fault and they get town their choices. just like my parents don’t get to own any of my choices. I am proud of myself and how I have overcome debilitating abuse and raised a good family and have become a stable adult. I get to own those choices …I did that all on my own with choices that I myself made….by getting help when I needed it and working my way up. I would never let them have that credit.

So my PRO list for being an adult is probably different than many people…..here goes:

1. freedom. I get to decide my environment
2. I get to choose what to eat…and I am never hungry ( clearly….weight issues)
3. good chaos
4. I get to buy whatever I want. ( I mean within budget of course)
5. I get to drive
6. vacations
7. I get to listen to any music, watch any tv or movies
8. I can choose when to do my chores ( mostly)
9. I can wear what I want
10. I can say what I want
11. I can believe what I want
12. good medical care
13. supportive friends & family
14. I always have power, clean water, and stability
15. trust
16. true love
17. I get to work in my passion
18. sense of wonder and excitement
19. sense of accomplishment
20. creativity
21. sense of self
22. coffee & tea
23. protected
24. I get to choose my friends & family

The cons of adulthood would be:

1. paying bills
2. health issues
3. pimples after age 40..these should be gone by now shouldn’t they?
4. random weird hairs that seem to pop out of nowhere…why?
5. filling the gas tank
6. chores
7. teaching this old dog new tricks
8. allergies
9. less tolerance for certain things
10. lactose intolerance
11. hyperaware of life & death
12. sensitivity
13. constantly cold
14. weight issues
15. wrinkles
16. being nice to mean people…(when I have to be)
17. gray hair

That is all I can think of for now. So my list of cons is probably similar to what many of us hate or wonder why we have to put up with these things…I mean at age 40…I should really not have to deal with pimples and random hairs…that just seems completely unfair. Us ladies have so much to worry about already and then a mustache starts growing? or a weird hair on my neck….seriously? Why? it’s like we just have to be battling one thing or another…until we eventually lose our minds. LOL Then we won’t care about any of it right? Maybe, I have this all wrong and I shouldn’t be striving to preserve my memory….maybe I should just let it go as fast as I can so that I can live blissfully unaware of what is happening. haha! When I lose my mind the mustache and pimples won’t matter!

But honestly I think being an ADULT is the bees knees and I love being an adult ..even in the worst of times. I bought a HUGE sign that hangs above my stairs…and it says “the true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies” ( Laura Ingalls Wilder)

This is so true. I have been trying to focus on the moments. Thanking God for all of these little things and just trying to remember all of these comforts that he has given to me. when I focus on gratitude it makes everything so much easier. When I start thinking about that…and looking for it…blessings come from unexpected places. I might get a scripture from someone unexpected or words of wisdom from a stranger. An answer to prayer….it all starts coming to me because I am trying to find peace and joy in the small everyday moments. I get to choose to do that….as an adult I get to control my mind and where it goes.

So I don’t repost those fb memes…but it always makes me think of the pros and cons of being an adult and how I would rather be in the “right now” rather than go back…..ever.

Right now is all we have…right? I just have to make the most of it.

we all do. It’s bests to find peace, joy , love, gratitude, hope and faith in the future.

xoxxo

Charisma