I realized I had grown up
When I got a job
Money
Responsibility
Being held accountable
All new things
That had to be battled with
Pulled at my skin
Attacked me from within
And when they finally settled,
I was new.
Different.
Older.
More hardened to the harsh ways of the world
And how people acted
When they didn't get their way.
I am growing up.
Becoming an adult,
which isn't easy by any means,
Had taken
A lot.
More than I thought I had.
And yet,
here I am.
Still standing.
Still breathing.
Still me.
Not matter how much I change,
how much I grow and mature,
I will always be me.