Sunday 21 February 2016

The Prompt - Grow

Grow
When I was small I was always told by well meaning relatives that I'd really grown since they last saw me. I was rather perplexed by this. How was I supposed to not grow? It was something I had no control over, it happened without my knowledge or help. Luckily I managed to avoid growing pains that plagued some of my friends.
'Grow' was such a positive word. I was growing up - not just physically but also in personality, spirit and character. Being grown up was something wonderful, something to be looked forward to. Even being told I would grow into a too large school blazer was positive, looking forward to a time when I was more mature, more grown up.
As an adult grow seemed to have different connotations . I was exhorted not to let the grass grow under my feet, to decide what sort of life o wanted and get on with it - education, career, family; all must be decided upon and acted upon with haste. After all time was marching on, biological clock ticking and all that. I also had to be mindful that money didn't grow on trees and i'd better make provision for the future. Before long I realised that in certain circumstances absence didn't make the heart grow fonder, it merely pointed out that certain people didn't have a place in my life or my heart any longer.
But now that I'm older grow is a scary word. It brings mortality to mind as I grow old gracefully, or try to. Growing old is generally something to fear, a time of endings, a time of loss. Something I have to grow accustomed to I guess. It's also a time when I have to grow a thick skin, learn to take all that age throws at me and live with it.
But I hope there are also things I never grow out of. Things like getting over emotional at books and films; things like getting over excited about kittens and birthdays; things like a childish love of pink and sparkles. I might have no choice about growing older but I certainly have no intention of always acting like a grown up!    

5 comments:

  1. Here here! I do think there is something to the old saying 'you're as old as you feel' and that sometimes it's good for us to not be quite so grown up :) Thank you so much for sharing with #ThePrompt x

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    1. I don't recommend growing old but there are a few compensations - I'm less bothered about what folks think these days!

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  2. Great post! The last paragraph is brilliant! Growing up is overrated

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    1. I don't think I was cut out to be a grown up! Still feel very silly at times...

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  3. Such an interesting reflection about how the meaning of grow can change as we get older and I love that last paragraph too - growing older is something we have no control over but we can choose whether or not to grow up and there's something to be said for holding on to the magic that we enjoyed as children! :-)

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