Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor
The older I get, the more things seem to change in life. Whether it is in my own life or my friends’ lives, I swear nothing stays the same once you hit around 16-years-old. Once you get behind the wheel of a car, the world feels new and exciting again.
Change comes with beautiful things. When you get in a new relationship, there are butterflies and excitement. On the other hand, when a relationship ends, everything can feel pretty dismal. Since beginning college, I have undergone a lot of changes whether it be weight loss or switching my major from nursing to English.
However, change is bittersweet. If you do not believe me, look at a wedding. Of course parents are excited to see their daughter walk down the aisle, but the truth hits them: their little girl is no longer little.
Soon, I will be 20-years-old, which I know is still relatively young; however, I remember when I was 12-years-old, I thought my soon-to-be age would take me a lifetime to reach. In actuality, it feels like those past eight years have flown by right before my eyes.
What am I supposed to do with change? Within the next few years, God-willing, I will be a college graduate, a teacher, and eventually someone’s wife. Even if I desperately tried to hold onto the season of life I am in now, I cannot. I will not be this age forever and neither will my loved ones.
In December, I am going to a wedding for a friend I have known since I was in elementary school. We were neighbors and I remember spending hours outside playing with her, riding our scooters, and talking about the future. I was there when she got her heartbroken by her first boyfriend, and I was there when she first met her soon-to-be husband. Though she is a few years older than me, it is still surreal to me that I will be attending her wedding soon.
I used to not understand why parents always asked “where has the time gone?” when their children turned certain ages or hit certain milestones, such as beginning college. But, as I get older, I understand why people desire for everything to slow down. There are so many moments from this past year I wish I could relive, but that is not the way the world works.
All that is left to do is to embrace change. It is the only way. When a story ends, there is no use in thumbing through the pages, desperately wishing to relive it. Sure, there are memories worth reflecting on, but it is not good to get in a state of reflection to the point where you cannot see the story that is still ahead of you.
So, no matter what age you are or what season of your life you are in, just remember to enjoy it because it will not always be like this.