Growing up

Growing up is not funny, sometimes.

Once a new born baby was pushed out from the womb, she has to face a new whole world. The new environment is no longer dim, moist, warm and comfort. Instead, she is bombarded with various simulations. Such fears caused fierce crying frequently in her first few months.

Time flies and the baby reaches the toddler stage. Many sparkling ivory tiny teeth drill out from the gum. It signifies a new milestone as she can now experience all yummy food as other people. However, the pain and itch of teeth growing is unbearable. The baby feels frustrated and suffering.

This little baby is transforming into a adorable kid. This is the first day of her kindergarten life. She is shocked by a roomful of strangers - many little men and women packed in the class. She wants her mother's hugs, she needs to get back into her comfort zone, she cries the whole day.

Life keeps going on and she is in her puberty phase. Well, this stage is even more perplexing - hormonal changes flip her life, the identity crisis, the overwhelming self-consciousness, the first yet painful love...... She cannot understand why her parents always comment she is having the best time of her life, they thinks she does not have to worry about livelihood. At the same time, the parents cannot understand why she feels stressful always, they feel upset because their daughter is somehow like a stranger.

She is a new graduate now. She thinks the new horizon is ahead and waiting for her to explore, but the reality is not as polished as she believe. She acts stupidly in front of her co-workers, she is now in the workforce but she does not belong to the place. She broke up with her college boyfriend, she cannot accept that someone she loves that much hurts her so badly. She feels she is in the middle of no where. Again, she wants to get back into comfort zone, if any.

This young woman is a tough girl and she can get through all these eventually. She now becomes a confident and elegant woman. She does not follow the life schedule that everybody believes - to reach Mr. right in mid-twenty and get married and have kids before 30, instead, she travels all over the world in her best years. She broadens her visions, experiences different cultures. She end up gets married in 38 and has a kid in 40.

She is no longer a young woman and she is reaching the age of retirement. Again, she is having age crisis again. She wonders if she would have no further achievement in her life. She thought she would be a very successful business woman one day, she could conquer the world and her face would be shown in different international magazine covers. However, the reality is far different from what she dreamt when she was 20.

After the transitional stage, she is now in her 65. She feels this is the happiest moment in her life. She accepts her true self finally. She is proud of her, she is now comfortable with her wrinkled but gorgeous face.

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This is not a real story, but I think you can find a portion of yourself in it. Life is not easy but experiences bring us genuine happiness once you passed through the difficulties. My friends, I wish you all are proud of yourself and be cheerful!!!