18 – A Haiku.
Once, you are eighteen
Dreams Alive In Front of You
Fully breathe it in
An Ode to Eighteen.
In mid-life, I realize and acknowledge that I have become a lot of things…..
- a mother
- a wife
- a daughter
- a sister
- a friend
- a nurse
- a teacher
- a writer
- a jewelry maker
- a traveler
- a gardener
- a conservationist
No, I do not claim to be any more or any less than any other person, once eighteen.
It is the age of dreams, both big and small.
There, you are poised for the rest of your life.
I was eighteen, once.
But, at eighteen, I saw the world differently than I do now.
At 18, I was different. I thought my path was chosen or set.
Now I know it was not. Life is fluid and paths diverge like
little tributaries off the foundation of the river.
At Eighteen, I traveled far but came home.
At eighteen, I lacked the experience the rest of my life has given me.
At eighteen, I was:
- naive
- trusting
- hopeful
- scared
- quiet
- shy
- 40
- goofy
- nerdy
- skinny
- smart
- a musician
- a reader
Eighteen you are a milestone for some, a marker along the road of life. For others, you mean nothing, relegated to just another day in a life of aging. My youngest son is now eighteen, poised to choose a path for his future. It will be interesting to see where life takes him. Eighteen has taught me where we start is often not where we end up.
I’m not sure I’d want to be eighteen again. I like where I’ve ended up!
Lovely haiku. At 18 I was so much more self-assured, and thought I knew my path. I wouldn’t mind a little of that self-assurance today combined with the knowledge of the decades since…
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Thank you! I also need to remind myself to be more self assured. This has been a common theme for me during my life.
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Yeah. I don’t think I’d go back to 18 either!!!
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I have not heard from one person who would! Interesting! And, yay for experience!
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Funny. My husband and I were just having this conversation. What/who were we 10, 15, 20 years ago vs. who we are today. So interesting to ponder. And I agree I’m much happier with the now me than the then me! Cheers! — Christie
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Thank you! Yes, it is an interesting question to ponder. I appreciate your comments! Have a wonderful new year!
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