We’re constantly growing. Every day we become more responsible, more confident, more out-going. However, the classic first day of school pictures always bring out the shyness and awkwardness I thought I left in middle school.

Looking back on last year’s picture, it’s a different girl. You don’t realize how many changes you make in a few months until you see the comparisons hanging up on the refrigerator. There’s always that moment that makes us fully realize our growth and understand we’re becoming adults, maybe your moment is like mine, standing in front of the fridge cringing at my first day of school outfit last year or you might not have had that moment yet. That moment may not hold as high importance to one person as it does to another. Sometimes it is something simple that symbolizes our growth.

Maybe from freshman to junior year you started making more eye contact with people, felt more courage to look up in the hallways, felt confident raising your hand in class, or started realizing who your true friends are and which ones aren’t and you weren’t afraid to tell them. It’s entirely possible for something so seemingly small to help us recognize our transition from childhood to high school. 

My mom has driven me to school every single day for my entire life. Every morning she would wake up earlier than me when she didn’t even have to go to work until a couple hours later and take me to school no matter how tired she was. It was until this year that I realized how much I’ve underappreciated all that she has done for me and how nice it was that she’d drive me every morning without me even asking. Now that we are doing school from home, she’s finally able to sleep in, yet, she still wakes up every morning to make sure I’m ready to start my day and everything is okay. “Mom just go back to sleep, I’ll be fine on my own with everything,” is something I don’t think I’ve ever said. 

I began to question why I found so much importance and happiness in knowing my mom was going to sleep, but I realized how good it felt to know I am responsible for everything and can do it on my own. I could not fully understand why I’ve never said this earlier, or maybe took the bus once in my life, but in regard to my growth it just seemed so “grown up,” in such a silly way. It’s just something my mom has always done, now this was the first time I had carried out that responsibly. 

I was the one making my breakfast, getting the coffee ready, cleaning everything up before school started, and just doing everything usually my mom would help me with by myself. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but it’s true. However, I felt proud of myself and content with my “adult-likeness.”

So then, inspired by this previous event, preserving in the feeling of growth and confidence, I went on and made my mom lunch during my free period, finished the laundry which she’d usually be doing while I was in school, and just finishing any task that would normally be done by her if I wasn’t in remote schooling. It felt good. This might seem something so outlandish to other people, or silly, or maybe you relate, but this was definitely a moment for me where I felt more maturity in myself and confidence in my responsibilities. I hope to make more changes as the school year progresses.