Coming of Age

Everyone has their own experience of coming of age. My experience of coming of age was becoming a aunty because even though it doesn’t seem like a big deal to me, being so young at the time made have a much more impact on me than it would have on most people.
Before I became a aunty I wasn’t as careful, patient, or as mature as I am now. To me becoming an aunty has made me really grow up because I had to become a role model so that required setting a better example and taking on responsibility. Some responsibility’s I had to take on was babysitting, preparing food, and helping clean more than I normally had to. This to me was really hard because I wasn’t able to do the things I wanted like going outside to play when I wanted to or act childish anymore because now I had followers watching and copying everything I would do.
I remember a while back it was an ordinary hot relaxed weekend day. I was upstairs with my auntie and cousins when all of a sudden a loud thumping sound came from the stairs and up came the three kids yelling and stomping all over the place like a bunch of wild monkeys. The funniest thing was the horrified look on our faces thinking “Man this will be a long day”. That day stud out the most of our crazy weekends because that day my niece cherish was the most sassy she’s ever been, that day she refused to drink water. I told her that she could end up in the hospital if she didn’t drink water( like I did), and at first she was resistant but I made a deal with her, if she drank a whole bottle of water then She could drink as much soda as her dad would let her. The ironic part was she actually did it and after wards I gave her a can of soda.
That was the proudest day I’ve ever had of being a aunty. I actually for the first time acted just like my mom and after that day I appreciate what my mom has to deal with a lot more (LOL). I’ve now realized that, that very day I grew into a more patient and mature person. It has taught me that growing up does happen but not at the time you think it would happen. For most people it’s getting their license or going on their first trip, but for me it was taking on the task of being a good aunty.