Adulting

I hadn't heard this word "Adulting" till very recently. Considering it's a term mostly used by the millennials, it comes as no surprise that I had not known of it earlier. It's a term that my daughter has embraced in letter and spirit and I am extremely proud of her.

I remember being her age, all married and in fact gearing up to be a mother, while most of my friends were still exploring their options career wise, studies wise and in general taking things quite easy or so it seemed to me. While, there I was already "Adulting", and trying to cope with the responsibilities of a newly married and a mother to be. As a new mother when all I could think of and be was a mom, I remember my father getting me a stack of new books of my favourite authors and asking me to get back to enjoying an old hobby, while he and my mother took turns with me to look after my infant daughter. And every time I went back home to my parents, I would be pampered and treated as if all I ever was and all I ever would be was their little daughter. Not a wife, not a mother, not even an adult I think. Most times I enjoyed these phases and they were refreshing holidays to "Unadult" and be child-like again.

I am glad I basked in all that warmth and tenderness then, because Time has a way of unknowingly ticking away. And before we know it, subtly but surely, the roles get reversed. There does come a time when the parents come to us for a break, where they want to just relax and let go...and just enjoy the company of their grand children. And before one even realises, one is "parenting" their parents. Advising them, guiding them, helping them, because now, one has become protective about them. Transactional Analysis...my father had explained to me.

I hope that in all the need to Adult, my daughter realises, it's okay to be a child too. Time, has never really spared anyone from Adulting, but while one can, one must " Unadult" too!