Doin’ the stinkin’ dishes. On a regular basis, too! Ugh. There are a lot of things in my life that I’m noticing more and more lately that make me feel like I am finally starting to grow up. Sometimes they’re good things… Sometimes they’re not so great. Growing up can mean so many different things to people and it can start at so many different ages. Growing up to my child hood best friend started at age 10 when she was having to cook dinner for a family of seven. Growing up to me started the day before I turned 26 when I got married.

Growing up means…

• Being responsible for my own laundry. If I slack off, I end up with nothing to wear. Those days are the ones that really hit me hard. Where’s mom to do my laundry every Tuesday? Maybe it’s time to start a laundry schedule.
• Feeding my doggies twice a day. Remembering to refill their water bowl. They’re living things that I have to take care of. Worrying about them if they’re ill. Taking them to the vet for their shots. Being the sole care giver for them.
• Making sure Gene and I have something to eat for dinner every night. And lunch on the weekends. And breakfast. This is something I constantly struggle with because by time I get home from work every night, I am exhausted.
• Keeping up with the dishes so that we have clean silverware and plates and cups to eat and drink out of. Besides, who likes a stinky sink full of dirty dishes?
• Taking control of a pesky rodent problem in our home. When I lived at home? I never had to even worry about this kind of thing. Dad always took care of these types of problems! But now I have to step it up and actually take care of it myself or else my house will be overrun with mice. Cute little furry grey mice. That I’ll eventually kill. It’s sad. But seriously? They have like fifty kajillion babies every year so I don’t need those things multiplying.
• Always worrying about money. Always. Paying bills on time. Insurance copays. Insurance deductibles. Prescriptions. Groceries. Car repairs. Gas. Utilities. A new fence. Hemorrhaging money. All the time.
• Keeping track of dates! This is the WORST thing for me. Mom always kept track of my activities, what papers I had due and when, what birthday parties I needed to go to and when, and whether or not I had showered in the last 48 hours. Now? I have no idea. I keep it all in my trusty little Blackjack II. But sometimes I forget to put it in there. And sometimes I don’t show up to things that I said I would. Oops.
• Mowing yards. Planting flowers. Basic home upkeep that I never once had to worry about previously.

There is more of course. But those are just a few things that come to mind. I guess the biggest thing of all is knowing that I have vowed and have a responsibility to myself and to Gene to take care of both of us until death do us part. To care for him when he is ill and to be as understanding as possible whenever we aren’t in agreement. I wont lie, there are days where I just want to do whatever I want to do and not have to worry about anything or anyone else. But in all honesty, those days are few and far between. I rarely find myself longing for that kind of independence. I love taking care of Gene and I love caring for him. It gives me purpose and makes me feel good about myself and what I’m doing with my life.

So.. Growing up isn’t so bad. Right? I mean, the car repairs and bills and groceries and dishes aren’t the greatest things ever. And neither is the whole Job thing. But it’s worth it in the end.