🎄 The Christmas I Finally Felt Grown-Up

Daily writing prompt

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

The first time I really felt like a grown-up wasn’t when I got my first job or paid my first bill. It wasn’t even when I got married.

The first time I really felt like a grown-up was one Christmas in Marietta, Georgia. I was married to Vicki then, and her parents came up from Florida to spend the holiday with us. We had a wonderful celebration—good food, laughter, the smell of pine and cinnamon filling the house.

When they left, I sat down in my big, comfortable black leather chair with a cup of coffee, the fire roaring in the fireplace, and just took it all in. The quiet, the warmth, the peace. For the first time, I realized I was the one hosting Christmas at my house. I was the adult at the center of the story.

I’ve had other grown-up moments since—especially with Daryl—but that one stands out. It was the first time I felt settled, capable, and exactly where I was supposed to be.

About Douglas Blaine

Capnpen is a writer who was a newspaper and magazine journalist in a previous life. A college journalism major, he now works as an English teacher, but gets his writing fix by blogging about a variety of topics, including politics, religion, movies and television. When he's not working or blogging, Capnpen spends time with his family, plays a little golf (badly) and loves to learn about virtually anything.

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