When I grow up...

Do you remember certain milestones of growing up?

• Riding the school bus
• Getting your ears pierced
  
• Wearing pantyhose
• Driving a car alone
• Preparing your first tax return
• First day at college
  
• First NSF notice from the bank
• Getting married
• Giving birth
• Death of a friend
• Buying real estate
• Getting divorced
• Earning more per year than your age X 1,000
• Death of a parent
• Death of another parent

After a certain age, (for some, this is in your 30s, for some your 60s!) the milestones of growing up seem to be more a matter of changing your perspective and giving yourself permission to change.

• Completely changing the course of your life, by choice
• Ending bad relationships
• Not giving a hoot about what other people think about you
• No longer trying to control everything
• Comfortable with giving Plan B a chance

Interestingly, these later developments of growing up, seem to come in an instant of clarity, not over years. It is like leaping over a bridge. Once you are on that far side, you look back at your old self and give a big sigh of relief. This is, in my opinion, when you know you have truly grown up.