It’s a black T-shirt with the words “growing up is a trap” on the front.
This T-shirt became the “it thing” as a phrase used among him and and his siblings.
Now they always tell the adults in our family (myself included) we are all “traps”.
Then, one day I finally had a moment’s silence with no child, no family and no television – just me and silence; a custom made planet were only I dwell.
I thought about that silly T-shirt and, for the first time, I actually read it!
The image of the words “growing up is a trap” stayed fixated in my mind.
Growing up really is a trap, I thought silently in my head.
The more I thought about the irony of printing such words on a child’s T-shirt, the deeper I thought about these five words.
When we are young we rush the process of growing up because, at the time, it seems like a dream with endless possibilities.
We dream of getting married, having children and, by God’s grace, of becoming successful.
Eventually, we achieve this only to come to the realisation all these things take hard work.
Sometimes we stumble and fall along the way and at times it leaves emotional scratches and bruises.
But, as you grow older, you realise the “scars” left as an aftermath of a difficult situation become part of your life story.
Growing up is a trap only because we choose to keep ourselves captive.
Captive in our country’s past of oppression and captive because we claim to be different based on skin colour, origin, language and gender.
Yet, we all have a common dream and vision for our lives.
When we were younger we wanted to take on the world.
We were unstoppable!
Then, life happens and the “bumps” in life begin to feel like hills.
Growing up shouldn’t be a trap, it should be a journey.
A journey with different roads that ultimately reach one destination.
We live our lives the way we see fit and then, ultimately, we pass on.
It’s a one way ticket we all have to face.
There are those who choose to live life to the fullest and those who choose to watch life pass them by.
Life happens and it’s not the end of the world.
Get dressed up and wear that cute little number you’ve been meaning to wear (which, by the way, makes you feel like a tiger).
Be social, spend time with people who genuinely appreciate you, enjoy every moment and laugh till you cry.
Then, life won’t seem as miserable or difficult.
Happiness is contagious.
When you are happy, you attract happy people.
You’ll have more to laugh about and then, soon after, those hills that were about to turn into mountains become bumps again.
Travel and explore, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you might discover.
Life is beautiful only if that’s what you want it to be.
Each time you run into a bump along the way, remember it’s just for a season.
Winter isn’t all year long.
When a difficult season in your life happens, remember to breath and look around you.
Stop and appreciate the amber leaves lying on the ground.
Work hard, play hard and love even harder.
That way the “trap” won’t get you!
