17 Candles

Seventeen is a weird age. Well, it is for me so far. However, I may sound a little ridiculous because it's not like seventeen is much different than sixteen..at all. Still, when I woke up this year on my birthday, I got a pang of sadness that hit my stomach hard. I realized one very sad realization. Possibly one of the most awful revelations I've ever had:
I'm growing up.
When I was a little girl, I used to sit in my room holding all of my dolls, crying because I knew that I would eventually I would have to grow up one day and would be unable to play with them. I would cry in bitter frustration too, because I could never escape to Never Neverland because it didn't exist. (Dang Peter Pan gave false dreams)
This birthday was just a very emotional birthday for me. I don't really know why, but as I sat in U.S History, after taking my final, I started to cry.
I think though, that it was after reading all the text messages that flooded my phone inbox that got me. I just felt so...so HAPPY. Beyond happiness really. I saw how much people loved me. I saw how many AMAZING people God had placed in my life. They're the vessels Father placed in my life, that He works through to show me how much He loves me. It was such an overwhelming thought, in a good way, just blown away by how much people really loved me. The coolest most incredible people.
I guess I'm just going to have to deal with the fact that I'm growing up and it's okay. It's going to be an exciting journey, as I walk through this year onto my 18th birthday, and then 19th and then 20th, etc. Because not only am I going to grow as a person, in who I am, but I'm also going to get to walk with God through many more experiences that show me more of who He is. YES! AND, I get to do it with my friends right behind me. This is the life. This is MY life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. C'est la Vie!



Then

Now