I've Grown

Hearing your own name being called in front of family and friends

Laughing and crying with those you may never get to see again

It is experiences like these that will change your perspective

And allow you to fill the shoes you have longed to fill

To spread your wings and realized you’ve grown

I’ve grown from the person I was ten years ago

From the child who yearned to go play in the mud

The child who couldn’t wait to hang around the boys on the playground

The eight year old who thought dresses needed to be tucked in at recess

I’ve grown from being fatuous and carefree

I’ve grown from the person I was five years ago

From the teenager who didn’t want to deal with anything or anyone

The teenager who wished her life wasn’t what it was

Who thought if she just did what she was told there wouldn’t be conflicts

Wished she didn’t have to pretend to be perfect

She was the thirteen year old who had to be perfect

A perfect student in the classroom and athlete on the court

A perfect daughter and sister who did no wrong

A perfect leader and friend to everyone

Can anyone really be perfect?

I’ve grown from the girl I was two years ago

The girl who thought she couldn’t recover from knee surgery

Who thought she needed makeup to be beautiful  

Needed to be loved and accepted by everyone

The sixteen year old girl who discovered pain fades away

I’ve grown from the person I was one month ago

The person who realized her priorities in life

Realized what the world had to offer

I began to understand what life was really about

The person I was on my high school graduation night

Standing in front of peers, administration, family, and friends

Sad and excited to leave the small town and go across the country

Understanding that I’ve grown into an adult

Realizing time has run out and the shoes I once tried to fill are filled

Ready to spread my wings and show the world I’ve grown