From Down Below And From Up Above

Hi!

Some days we find ourselves flying high above the fray, some days we find ourselves deep in the mud beneath it, some days, we hover somewhere in between.

For some, it can take a lifetime to experience the full spectrum of highs and lows, for others it can happen through the course of a day.

For a rare few, circumstance happens by chance. For most of us, we get to where we are as a result of our choices.

Sometimes, the results brought on by our choices happen almost immediately, sometimes they take a while.

There are times when our choices turn around and bite us in the butt, then, there are times they feed us an embarrassment of riches.

With Graduation season soon upon us, I would like to aim my words, this week, in the general direction of the bright-eyed young people about to step out and conquer the world.


As parents, we often speak about the different phases of our children's childhoods.
The newborn, the baby, the toddler, the little kid, the pre-teen, the tween, the teen...

All phases have their challenges, for child and parent alike. Out of all of them, I believe the one that is the most tricky to maneuver through is the one that doesn't really have a name. The phase that begins at the end of your teens, where you can see, smell and taste adulthood but, find it's just beyond your grasp.

It's the phase that leads you to the conclusion that the adulthood you've been pining for, comes at a price. The freedom and independence you've been craving come laced with both responsibility and the realization that your parents aren't as dumb as you thought.

It comes with the harsh and sudden awareness of just how much milk, cereal, toilet paper, and tampons cost.

It's the phase in which the word 'adult' becomes a verb.

This is a time when decision making is tricky. You are expected to make monumental decisions about education, career, roommates, relationships, where you live, how you live, all without any real practice. There is no warm-up. Please do yourself the favour of seeking out the advice of, and then listening to, your parents, or whoever are those people for you.

Although these decisions can be daunting, just know this. Very few decisions come without do-overs.

Very few, but there are some. Keep that in mind, and take care.


Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You know that feeling of "adulthood", that feeling of being sure of your direction, that assuredness that you know what you're doing?  It isn't something you earn or attain, or accomplish. It's a feeling that is fleeting, and if you are very lucky, will experience from time to time throughout your life. The truth is, we are all just figuring crap out as we go along. Those of us who have been on the planet longer just have more experience and practice than you do, that is the only difference.

I have yet to meet anyone, at any age, who actually has everything all figured out. Some like to pretend they do, but that, in my experience, is generally an abundance of fear, not a wealth of wisdom. The wisest people I have ever come across are the ones who are well aware of just how little they really do know.

I am so excited for you, and the newness of your journey, all of the undiscovered adventures that lay before you, the untravelled paths that will be uniquely yours.

Try to make choices that will fly you high above the fray, if you are thrown into the mud, try to make it a brief stay, when in between, breathe.



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May you make your way through life with kindness, building an existence that's uniquely you.
May you create a path that brings you joy, lets you shine, to your soul, be consistently true.

May you learn to roll with whatever life brings, for it rarely goes as planned.
May you, when knocked down, be resilient, for on the other side of struggle lay something grand.

May you find true success, far beyond anything money can buy.
May you find true fulfillment and happiness, your only limit, the sky.


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