No matter how old you are ...
Holding my 11-month-old in my arms last night, as I nursed him to sleep, I was struck by his size and strength ... and the fact that he'll turn one in less than a month! His growth, like most babies, has been phenomenal in the last few months. Physical and mental changes that can be seen almost daily. I watch in awe as he grabs life by the horns and pursues it with glee.
Kids have no choice but to grow. Their bodies develop without any conscious effort on their part, and they learn simply for the joy of it. As parents, we do our share of prodding, showing, feeding, and teaching, but we do little otherwise to influence their actual growth. So when does it change? Somewhere in the pre-school years most kids hit an "I don't WANT to grow up!" phase, as they realize that responsibility and work are part of the deal. This changes their perspective from "growth is fun!" to "Growth is hard, and maybe not worth it." They realize they're gaining things they don't want (responsibility) while getting the things they do, like new skills and greater privileges.
Growing up means changing. Taking what you know and doing something with it. Putting out mental and physical effort to accomplish something. Kids do that naturally, without a thought, when they see something that interests them. They stretch, scrape, bruise, and imitate their way to an understanding of something new. A new point of view.
As adults, we're more loath to part with our energy and time, and sometimes look at growing as a painful and draining process. If we're really interested and consumed by a goal or idea, then we're apt to tackle joyfully it like a child. But most often our growth happens without us truly realizing it. It's what happens while we're chasing that goal or thought, not the reaching of it per se. We turn around to take a look back at where we've come from, and realize what we've actually done is to grow up a bit. We might be panting and bruised in one way or another, but we truly have grown. We have a new perspective: the juiciest and most succulent part of growth. The grapes of life ... to be enjoyed and shared.