What They Don’t Tell Us About Growing Up

Here’s what they do not tell you about growing up. At times, you will find yourself walking at those crossroads and all you have to do is to trust your intuition, your guts. They do not tell you that you will find yourself in the middle of the night circling in confusion, lying with uncertainties. They do not tell you that sometimes you will find yourself somewhere in between your own emotions, in between holding on and giving up, in between staying and leaving, in between happiness and emptiness.

They do not tell you that love gets more complicated as you grow up, that it is not the ideal love story — it is not a fairytale. Heartbreak after heartbreak, your heart starts to change. Your walls begin to tighten, begin to build up. You think too much before giving someone a chance. You are always on guard. You are hoping that this time will be different, that this must be it, but you cannot deny the reality that you are always thinking about what’s going to happen if one day they eventually decide to leave. You are hoping for the bes,t but you always expect for the worst. You are always ready to be left alone; you are always ready for the sound of goodbye.

They do not tell you that there are a lot of things you need to learn about letting go, about moving on. They do not tell you that change is the only constant thing, that there are sacrifices you need to make just to make ends meet, that there are no perfect relationships.

They don’t tell you that change can happen in a tick of a second, in a snap, in a flash. Change can happen overnight, and you will have to deal with it for weeks, for months, for years, sometimes even for your entire lifetime. You have to deal with the aftermath. But the good news is, they also don’t tell you that as you grow, you will learn to be strong. You will learn to look for your inner strength, and you will eventually discover that you have the courage, the bravery that you need in the battle of life’s circumstances.

They do not tell you that growing up is a project that you have to work on for the rest of your life. They do not tell you that you will be good at healing. You will be good in putting back your own pieces together. You get better at learning, understanding and listening. You get better at facing the chaos without losing your mind, without losing yourself. You learn that life still goes on without the people you thought would back you up. You learn that all along, you are a fighter. You are exactly what you need.