When did you get so big?!

These are the sometimes-annoying words we heard from aunts or grandmothers who came to visit from far away; people who hadn't seen us for some time and couldn't believe how much we'd grown.

One reason this was annoying was that, for us, the change was hardly noticeable. We didn't feel as if we grew! We were who we were.

 In fact, the younger you are, the slower your growth seems to go. It feels like an eternity before you will ever be old enough to drive a car, get a job, and travel the world.

Growth is a matter of time, and the watched pot never boils. When you choose to grow up and embrace a life that matters, it's important not to gauge your progress on just the good days or the bad days.

Give it time. Eventually, someone will show up to visit from far away and will gush over the difference.