How To: Get Rid of Growing Pains

And no, I'm not talking about Kirk Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio... Who would ever want to get rid of these cuties and their super 90's haircuts?

Seriously. Check out that 'fro. I'm a little envious of 

Ben's side swoop bangs... why won't mine do that?!

I'm talking about the ones that are involved with putting on those wedgie-inducing Big Kid pants. One of the most important parts of being an Almost Adult is learning how to navigate stressful and tricky situations all by your lonesome. Its terrible, nerve-racking and just plain overwhelming.

Right now, amongst my closest group of friends, we're dealing with issues about becoming independent from our parents, getting engaged, buying houses, ending jobs, starting careers, becoming entrepreneurs, going back to school, breaking up, dating, you name it. Its like you see in movies where the character is just standing there as everyone around them starts talking all at once and it just keeps getting louder and louder as the person just stands there and panics until they end up screaming bloody murder. How are we supposed to know how to handle all of this with a pleasant smile on our faces and get from one day to the next?

Some days its hard to even see the humor in situations that you're going through. For instance, a not-so-advertised Mishap from this past year, on Thanksgiving, I had an "incident" with a creme brulee torch that ended up in me losing most of my eyelashes on my right eye, a seriously scorched eyebrow, and a significant portion of my bangs. Yes. Please laugh. It was exactly as you're imagining. One big ol' mushroom cloud coming out of the torch and me standing there while LITERALLY getting my eyebrows burnt off. 

As I stood there mourning the loss of my precious super-long-and-everybody-is-jealous-of-them eyelashes and couldn't get rid of the just plain awful smell of singed hair (probably burnt my nose hairs too... that would explain a lot), I just wanted to cry at the situation. In fact, I did. I stood in the laundry room of our house and sobbed. My poor bangs. My poor hair. How awful. It was one of the more traumatizing things thats ever happened to me, and months later, probably one of the funniest. 

Last night I spent talking on the phone to a friend of mine about how terrible my day had been. The whole conversation quickly turned into laughing about his St. Patrick's Day adventures, then trying to convince me that his seemingly odd bite he had was either from the world's tiniest vampire or possibly the alleged leprechaun from Mobile, Alabama (if you haven't seen this - brace yourself.), and finally reliving horrible college stories. 

The whole time I sat there, my problems from the day seemed further from what was really important and less horrible. Although I'm not ready to laugh at them like I do about my poor eyebrows (they're almost fully grown back in), I know it will come in time.

So how do we get rid of these growing pains in the meantime?

1. Put one foot in front of the other. Keep moving forward. Just keep swimming.
2. Find the silver lining. Even if its potential humor-value later in life when its not so fresh, there has to be something good about it.
3. Ask advice. Although we're learning how to be independent adults, you're never too old to ask advice from people like your parents or mentors who have literally been there, done that.
4. Pout, vent, scream, sigh, get it out. Do whatever you need to do to let off some steam and then pull on those Big Kid pants.
5. Deal with problems head-on. Find your own solutions rather than just waiting it out.
6. Count on your friends. Sometimes a little support is all you need,
7. Stay positive. You're not supposed to have it all figured out yet.

I am so incredibly lucky to have the wonderful friends and support system that I do. 

And the ability to laugh at myself.

And still have my eyelashes.