Often I think about being a small child and how I couldn’t wait to grow up. I used to see upperclassmen and wonder how it felt to be them. I would say things like, “I can’t wait to be older.” I believe it is common for young people to wish for time to pass quickly so they can grow up faster, yet as I enter early adulthood I find myself wishing instead that I could reverse time and go back to childhood. 

Now, I know that I’m still young and have many years ahead of me, but adulthood comes with a lot of responsibilities and stress I’m not sure I’m ready for. My grandma used to say to me, “Don’t rush time. Cherish all the moments you have.” Now that I’ve grown, I realize what she meant. I remember the moment in elementary school when I saw my graduation year “2022” for the first time and thought, “Wow, that’s so far away.” But now here I am nearing the end of 2021, my senior year, alongside classmates who I’m sure used to think the same way I did so many years ago. 

The older I get the more complex everything becomes: Buying that first car, jobs, taxes, scholarship applications…Adult concerns can be exciting in some ways, but they also make you recognize the simplicity of your childhood. Humans have a tendency to overthink what may happen in the future or only think of the past. Younger me wished for the future to hurry up and get here, and now that I’m here, I’m wishing to go back. I think too often I fail to pay attention to the present. A New Year’s goal I’ve set for myself–and one I encourage you to adopt–is to live more in the moment. Time is valuable and every minute should be appreciated.