Once, way back when there lived a girl

Her name was Lillianne

When she was small, she often heard stories

Tales of all the things the bigger kids could do

She wanted to do them too

Grownups often told her

“Do not grow up too fast, for one day when you are old and grey, you will long for the old days”

She just smiled and nodded, for Lillianne didn’t understand

What was growing up?

When Lillianne got a little older, she thought she understood

She was taller, not the little baby she used to be

But when did that happen?

To Lillianne, growing up was going to bed one day, and waking up the next older

When Lillianne got even older

She met a boy

His name was Pete

To Lillianne, Pete was love

But one day, Pete left her

It broke Lillianne

For Pete was all she ever wanted

When Lillianne again grew older

She went to college

Pete was only a memory

And that was all

She thought she had figured it out

Growing up is not going to bed one day and waking up the next suddenly older

It is so much worse

Growing up is seeing all the things that used to matter to you slowly slip away

When Lilliane grew even more

She graduated

Got a job

And found a new boy

She got married

And started a family

She thought that now she figured it out

Growing up was deciding who you are and what you want

When Lillianne grew older

The love of her life had died

She lived all alone

Her children had families of their own

She looks at pictures of the past

And tries to get a glimpse of old memories

But life cannot be lived by looking back

Because growing up is also letting go

And only then can you truly move on

When Lillianne grew to be as old as she ever would

She realized this:

Growing up is all of those things

And it wouldn’t be the same with every experience

Every memory

Because growing up is a process

And it will last you your whole life through