When I Grow Up

            I know everyone remembers being in kindergarten and being asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” A multitude of crazy dreams were always in that line: astronaut, pilot, firefighter, professional soccer player, movie star and many more. Growing up, for some, seemed to have changed that fill-in-the-blank line. Now looking back at my childhood, I have changed careers about 12,784,783 times. Mostly because I realized what my strengths were, and definitely what my weaknesses were (cough cough, math).
          If you had asked me four and a half years ago if I could have imagined myself graduating college soon, I would have laughed. Like most people who leave high school, I always imagine myself going to college but never what would happen coming out of college. The majority of this last semester was busy and watching some of my close friends approach their  graduation day.  As Christmas break rolled,  I noticed my friends using Shutterfly's Christmas cards and this gave me some great ideas for helping my friends with their to-do lists for graduation. It's always a scary thing receiving invitations to my friends graduations knowing I will be there soon. It’s crazy to think that I have spent the last four and a half years preparing myself for what I am going to do the rest of my life. At this point, I have absolutely no idea where or what I will be doing in six months. Terrified is a good word for that.
          I know I don’t speak for myself when I say this semester seemed to fly by. All in 5 months time, my last soccer season came to an end, I finished the rest of my core classes and managed to stay afloat at work. I’ve also seen friends who have previously graduated go off and do amazing things.
          With graduation around the corner I ask myself, what do I want to be when I grow up?  For me, this doesn’t anymore fill in a profession but the kind of person I want to be. I want to be a good friend, family member, student, learner, caregiver , helper, volunteer and whatever role I may find myself in, in the years to come. I want to be able to give back what so many have given to me on this journey from kindergarten – college.  Most importantly, I want to be able to follow and use the gifts that Christ has given me. I may not know what I want to be just yet, but I know WHO I want to be.  This seems to be the most important lesson I might have learned throughout my schooling. Although I appreciated the years of real classes, I think the lessons I haven’t learned in the classroom are the most valuable ones.
         Six months. Six short months until I walk across the stage in front of teachers, family and friends. For now though,  I’ll enjoy Christmas break and realize all I have been given by my amazing God and the people in my life. Time may be flying by, but most of these moments are shaping us for the actual “grown up” part in life. As for me, I’m still working on my professional soccer career.



Just Kidding.