Growing up

In talking to a friend recently it dawned on me that he is finally growing up. It’s so nice to see. I have known him for years and I have seen the more childish and selfish side of him. He is forgiven; we were at that place, once.

Now to hear him talk about the future and buying a house and all the plans he has, it makes me happy. Like a parent in a way. Not that I can take any credit for it, he did it on his own. I knew he would get there and always had faith that he would make it and he was just going through his immature faze. During that time I didn’t get on his case about things and let it go.

Now he is married and has a kid and coming to terms with what he has to do as a husband and as a man. He is not related to me at all, but as a friend I can say I am happy to see his progress.

That’s the thing; I don’t have to have children to feel like a mom. I just have to be there for my friends, in the good times and in the bad. Just writing about this and I wanted to cry. Brother, forget it if it had been my child, I would have never been able to be detached enough to let him figure things out on his own. I guess that is what dad’s are for.

I know I am not a family member or his mother by any stretch of the imagination. It’s just gratifying to see someone progress. No one wants to see their friends do badly; I guess some out there might, not me. I am always rooting for them to do better, even if I don’t always say it out loud.

I was talking to a new person the other day and telling them that I am an optimist. Their response was to tell a joke in which the punch line was that an optimist thinks everything is great. While a realist knows everything is horrid. I laughed but it doesn’t really explain things at all, I am not deluded and I don’t think everything is great. I hope and pray and want things to get better. Why? Since I realize things are bad now, I just work at making it better.

I am in no way a delusional child, but I have my eyes wide open. To me that is a big part of growing up, in that you have to decide who you will be. Some one that wants to hide from the future or someone that bravely faces it with optimism?