GrowingGrowing is something we all have to face, regardless of our age, gender, social or cultural status. Growing up is a progressive ladder toward change (development) from a naive child to a mature adult. This change is shaped by the influential people and experiences we have encountered along our journey. Growing up is not an easy process in most cases, but with proper support and positive guidance, growing up can be the most rewarding experience. As we grow up, we adopt a sense of responsibility and independence. Growing up is the difference between being told what to do and what decisions to make and making your own decisions and choosing the path you think is right. Becoming independent is one of the scariest experiences. Independence means getting a job, getting a license, and making life-changing decisions, such as which college you're going to apply to and what you're going to study at said college. Some things can make you mature faster and some things can slow down that pace. The death of a family member or close friend is an example of an experience that can cause you to mature more quickly. On the other side of the spectrum, being tainted and having everything on a silver platter can stunt your maturity and cause many to never grow up. My parents divorced when I was very young, at the time I had no idea what that meant. , my only thoughts were those of a selfish six-year-old: "Am I going to get fewer presents for Christmas now?" A few years later I realized that wasn't what mattered, the fact was that I no longer had a father figure in my life. My mother was now a single parent raising my sister and I alone, as many of you know this meant my mother worked a lot. My brother... middle of paper......much more independent and taught me to live each day as if it were my last. My advice is to stay young as long as possible, by young I don't mean that immature people are throwing paper airplanes in class. What I mean by staying young is going on adventures and socializing, not sitting in front of your iPhone screen all day throwing around fake money or growing fake drugs. Take risks and do things you wouldn't normally do or couldn't do once you get too old. Accept that people come and go in your life and that the ones who stay are the ones you should care about. At any time in your life, something tragic can happen and your youth can be stolen from you in an instant. Growing up comes with time and the best way to do it is naturally. Some will mature ten years faster than others, but that's just life and everyone has their own personal experiences and influences..