Abby Sherman

“Follow your heart.”
“Treat others how you want to be treated.”
“Don’t worry about what others think.”
Though I’ve been given a lot of good advice growing up, there is one thing that has always stuck with me — “don’t be in a rush to grow up.” My mom has always said this to me, and it’s the best piece of advice I have ever been given.
As a child, I remember often saying I couldn’t wait to be a grown-up. I wanted to stay up late, drink coffee and do whatever I wanted. Though it may have sounded appealing, I’ve come to find out there is nothing quite like being a child. Adulthood lasts a lot longer than childhood, so being a child is something to cherish.
To me, the best things that come with being young are having no stresses or worries. Being told what to do all the time felt like a pain when I was a child, but as I get older it’s becoming more of a want for me. It feels like everything would be easier if I was told what to say or do without having to decide for myself. It seems to me that as you get older, the more people expect you to have everything figured out.
The older you get, the more complicated things get. Once you are a certain age, the biggest questions people ask you are where you plan on going to college and what you plan on doing for the rest of your life. It’s a scary thing to think about – all these important decisions still feel like they should be far away. It seems like only yesterday that I was that little girl wishing to be a teenager and wondering what my life will be like.
I think about my future a lot, which often leads to worry. “What if college gets too hard?” “What if my career doesn’t work out?” “What if nothing pans out the way I planned for it to?” When doubt and worry start to creep in, I think of the advice my mom gave me and all the anxiety I feel just fades away.
“Don’t be in a rush to grow up.” After growing up with this advice, it’s truly helped me look at life from another perspective. Why rush to get older? Time flies, so don’t take it for granted.
I’ve learned to not focus on the future so much that I forget to enjoy the present, and that’s the best lesson I’ve ever been taught.