I wish I was an adult, said every child

Do you remember when we were kids? Long sunny days spent playing tag on the streets, building forts out of bedsheets and lounging and reading days away. Those were the good ol’ days, we say.

But do you remember the other moments - the moments of anticipation as you walk solemnly towards your dad’s desk to ask for pocket money to buy some sweets. Or when you stand at the edge of your mum’s bed as you plead and plead to go to your best friend's house or to watch an episode from your favourite cartoon.

But it’s a Saturday morning, and all they want is for you to go back to bed.

In those moments, there was nothing more we wanted than to grow up and be adults too. As we watched the adults buy as many sweets they wanted or head to the cinemas with their best friends when they pleased, being a kid felt like the most miserable thing possible. We’d moan, I wish I was older.

I wish I was an adult.

And then life carries on and you find your wish granted to you. You enter the world of adulting.

But…it’s not exactly how you imagined it. It’s the world of bills, chores and 40 hour work weeks, more than endless sweet treats and early morning besties hangouts you’d imagined. You can’t help but laugh and roll your eyes, just like your parents did to you, when your niece or nephew look up at you with their big eyes and earnestly cry out for adulthood too.

The cycle of life, eh?

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But although adulting isn’t exactly what we imagined, there’s a few moments that make me think back to my 8-year old self.

It’s on Saturday mornings, the sun streaming in from your window on to your bed, you tangled up in the arms of your bestest friend, you can’t help but wonder - adulting isn’t too bad.

It’s hearing your stomach growling and you nudging your husband awake, to whisper to him your intense want for a cinnamon roll.

It’s your husband groggily nodding with a smile on his face and staggering out of bed to throw on his joggers and t-shirt.

It’s grabbing the first hijab and dress you see, a complete fashion disaster, and walking out to the car. Not a person or car in sight on this Satuday morning, you roll into the closest grocery store.

It’s heading to the till with a basket full of cinnamon rolls, croissants, chocolate bars and any other piece of junk you can imagine.

It’s you laying out your finds across the table, with a nice steaming cuppa (tea for you and coffee for your bff), with your other half opening your laptop and pressing play to your favourite comedy show.

It's those slow mornings, you snuggled together, mouth stuffed with cinnamon rolls and croissants while snorting out with laughter.

It's those moments you can’t but help smile at your 8-year old self. Here you are, kid, you whisper to her. We’re adults now!

And adulting isn’t too bad.

Thank you for reaching till the end of this post!

I hope we get to meet each other in that post. Until then, if you have any thoughts about what you’ve just read let me know (in the comments or any other way). I’d love to start a conversation!

Until next time,

Thasneema 🌻