This is Change

I've been thinking a lot about transition, as I'm right in the throes of some big changes. I think many of us in our twenties are in a perpetual state of change. Graduation, moving to a new city, entering the work force, moving in with a significant other or maybe even marriage and children.

Whether we feel ready or not, our twenties are when most of us evolve into actual adults. A heap of new responsibilities are piled on. In so many ways, I feel unprepared and overwhelmed. 

Each stage of our lives before the mid twenties is ushered in with lots of preparation. We're showered with advice and encouragement when we head off to college or land our first job out of school.

When we reach a certain age, others become far less tolerant of our lack of having everything together.

We're adults now, after all. No one is going to give us a gold star for showing up for work on time or for paying the mortgage. There isn't a participation trophy for life.

I hope that this doesn't read as whiny or dripping with naivety. I understand that this is the natural progression into adulthood. I have found though, that lot's of us twenty-somethings don't actually talk about it. Many of us pretend that we have it all together. We don't dare mention how scary it can be to make some of these big decisions without really knowing what the heck we're doing.

From the outside looking in, it may appear that I've got it together. Truth is, I'm just as confused and afraid as the rest of my generation. The questions and uncertainty don't end with the purchase of a house or a walk down the aisle. For me, those milestones have only brought about more questions.

"When is the right time to have a baby? How badly will I screw up my future children? Is it possible to do what you love and make a living doing it? Do I give my husband and marriage enough of my attention? How in God's name do you fix a dishwasher. No, for real -- can anyone come fix my dishwasher?"

I'm reaching out with a proposition; let's uplift one another through this time of transition. If we can find a way to relate to each other, I'm sure it would take some of the absolute panic out of our twenties. Maybe if we look hard enough, we'll find that no one really knows what they're doing. That most of us are a little lost and a lot confused.