Yes, the dreaded hormones. Younger siblings tease you about them, older people groan about them, and we do some pretty stupid things because of them.

Hormones are part of why you feel you want to kick the dog as soon as you wake up, or adding ‘damn’ to every other sentence.

Hormones are also part of why you feel blissfully happy for no particular reason, treating everyone with grace and happiness. And everyone’s thinking, “What's happened to them?”

Then the next day you’re back to “I hate life.”

Has anyone ever felt like that? I certainly have.

I’m not saying that we can blame everything stupid we do while in our teen years on hormones, because that would end in big problems. No. Everyone is still responsible for their own actions.

I remember doing something really stupid and dumb not that long ago. I was apologising to a person who wasn’t that much older than me about it. They said: “It’s okay. I’ve had hormones too, you know.”

Of course, that didn’t excuse me for what I’d done wrong, but reminded me that mistakes are a part of growing up. It’s a good thing we learn from them.

It’s funny how exciting our life careers were when we were younger, before reality made its appearance.

5 yr old: “I want to be a ballerina!”

Me: “Ha, nope. No way have I got the body for that.”

8 yr old: “Let’s be politician, or a debater, or someone smart.”

Me: *In the courtroom, about to counter an argument* “Excuse me peoples, I have a mind blank.”

10 yr old: “I can’t wait to grow up! It’ll be so much fun!”

Me: “If only you knew.”

11 yr old: “I love soccer! One day I’ll play for Australia!”

Me: “I definitely do not have the patience to practise every day, since I have no guarantee that I’ll make it to the Matildas.”

12 yr old: “I know! I’ll be a hairdresser!”

Me: *cuts sister’s hair and fails* NOBODY WOULD TRUST ME.

For the past 12 months, I have being chucking around ideas of what I want to do when I “grow up”. It has been SO hard because I am a very indecisive person, even between the littlest things…like whether to have a bowl or plate for lunch (in case you’re wondering, it does make a huge difference…it was a hard decision).
Some of the ideas I had went teaching, hairdressing, authoring, physio, sports coach…then counselling came up.

It has stuck for quite a few months, and I think it might just be it. I am a people person, and just have this certain compassion for people who are dealing with depression, drugs, self-harm, that kind of thing. And I want to help them. So, if it’s God’s will, that just might be what I do. But I still haven’t a clue if that’s really what I want to do with my life.

Thank goodness that is perfectly okay.

My ideal life would be having a family of my own. But I’ll leave that up to God. See what His plans are.

So…after a year of feeling like growing up sucks, (which sometimes it does) I’ve come to realise that growing up does actually have its benefits. Yes, there will be times when I want to hibernate for 20 years. Yes, there will be times when I want to smash everything in sight.

But growing up isfun. Hey, we get to drive! I mean, I have had some lessons out on a property, and it was flipping fun. And we do get to get a job, although it is a pain in the neck getting one (I’m in the horrendous process).

There is that scary little process of making our own decisions. But hopefully we will become pros at that in no time.

So good luck to everyone! I’m pretty sure we will all grow up to be mature adults. But, of course, young and free at heart.