+JMJ+
I don't know about you, but I'm feelin' twenty-two!
Taylor Swift's songs don't typically resonate with me. I am thankfully not able to relate to songs that express her many 'gone wrong' relationships, but I am able to relate to being 22.
We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. It's miserable and magical oooooh yeeeaaah.
In a nutshell, this is how many twenty-two year olds and I feel on a daily basis...okay at least my roommates and I feel this way on a daily basis. No one warns you that at 22 years old everything changes, and it's a rush and an adventure and well miserable all at the same time.
Maybe it is unfair to say "no one tells you" that everything changes because it is somewhat assumed. What is most overwhelming is the sudden change from little responsibility to the expectation of being an adult who has their life together. In reality though, almost everyone at our age is just figuring life out as they go...even if their facebook profile leads you to believe otherwise.
We're happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way. It's miserable and magical ooooh yeeeaaah.
People can sometimes underestimate the capabilities of those who have just graduated, but in my experience, my generation is one to be reckoned with. There is something special about being in your young twenties. We are at a time in life where all seems possible, no dream is too big, and no obstacle can stop us. I have often heard this 'post-graduate hope' snickered at by those who are just a few years farther removed from college, but in all honesty I find this time in life, even considering all of the confusion, one of the most uplifting.
Take your joy and love and excitement into 'adulthood'. Take pride in the fact that people might see you as a 'post-grad hopeful' that hasn't yet been tainted by the hardships of life after college. There is something to be said for hope, for trusting that we are capable of great things. Personally, I pray this hope never dies, that I will always be seen as an optimist, because my hope is found in the Lord and with Him mountains can be moved.
In the gospel this past Sunday we heard that where our treasure is there also our hearts will be. At our age, essentially that is what we are searching for, for our treasure. We are looking to fill our burning hearts with truth and with something greater than ourselves. Reflecting on this gospel in a recent speech Pope Francis asks, "What is the desire of your heart, do you have a desiring heart?" and this question made me realize how the burning in my heart, the bold confidence I feel, is a desire to live a full life for the Lord and a bold trust that with Him all things are possible.
So for now, as I continue to feel happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time and in the best way, I will keep dancin' like I'm 22 because at 22 and frankly for the rest of my life, all things are possible because my heart lies in Him.
