Growing up

It's tough growing up.
It's even tougher when you're a parent, an adult, and you realize that there is no end to growing up.

And tougher yet is the realization that with growing up comes an endless amount of learning. Learning to be a good parent. Learning to be a good spouse. Learning to be a good friend. Learning to be all that you dreamt you were going to grow up to be. Learning that you may not have grown up to be what you had dreamt you would be.

When you're a kid you can't wait to be an adult because then life is so easy. You are the boss.

Until you grow up and realize that growing up is not as easy as you had thought it would be.

But with learning we grow.

So, do we learn to grow?
or
Do we grow to learn?

Any piece of knowledge I acquire today has a value at this moment exactly proportional to my skill to deal with it. Tomorrow, when I know more, I recall that piece of knowledge and use it better.

– Mark Van Doren