growing up is hard to do…

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starting to feel like a grown up.

This December, some friends in the States threw us a baby party. Not a shower, but a party. The purpose was for friends and family back home to get to meet our new daughter. It was a great party and we really appreciated it. But a childhood friend said something at that party that really made Jamie and I smile and think a lot. When discussing “all of us”, they described the group as having become adults – and then came the part that made us smile – “except for Tim and Jamie”. In some respects, I hope that’s true. I hope we never lose our childlike passion and especially our teen angst. But in other ways, I’m feeling more and more like a grown up these days.

Part of it is becoming a father, but part of it is also working with young 20 something year olds. I love them dearly, and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I find myself thinking and saying things to them that older adults have been saying to me for the past ten years. “Follow through on your responsibilities.” “Don’t blame others for your mess ups, take responsibility.” “Don’t blame the church for your lack of spiritual growth, step up…and take some responsibility.” See a common theme here?

For my dad, all the problems in the world came down to my attitude. I had an “attitude problem”, or so he said. For me things seem to be boiling down to responsibility.

Becoming a grown up sucks.