Growth

Growth is an amazing thing.

When there is an infant, growth is nothing short of a miracle.
They way they learn to roll over, crawl, pull up, walk, talk, eat for themselves, and become a little person  ~  it is just thrilling to watch.

As you age, I find it most exhilarating to see young people become adults.
They stumble, make bad choices, do stupid things, and then they realize that what you said for the last several decades about consequences really does matter.

And into adulthood and beyond, you realize you cannot do everything you might have once been able to do. Your abilities and strengths come together in arenas you never imagined. You endure having children and losing parents. Some traverse the slippery slope of divorce and more. What you can deal with and overcome is quite extraordinary.

Beyond most of these physical and somewhat 'typical' life lessons, there is more growth going on than you might ever imagine.

The two year old tantrums turned into the middle school omnipotence and then gave way to the high school drama. Then you realized that NONE of that was worth a hoot.

You realized that the quality of who you are matters far more than what you had hoped others perceived you to be. You understand that impressing someone stands little chance of persevering, but staying true to your morals and ethics will always be a beacon of the person that you are inside. You've concluded that maintaining your standards, despite what is current or in fashion, is exceedingly paramount in exuding your true value and worth.

Growth does not always refer to size.
Growth sometimes means a whole lot more.

Here's to hoping that 2014 is a year of great growth for each of you.