Your circle gets smaller. Your expectations get lower from the general population and you hold higher expectations to the people who’ve proven true, all in the same breath. your heart is easily filled up by a little special group of people. You talk to more souls in heaven than you care to count. You fight to remember the memories you’ve had to clear out, to hold onto new ones. You ask lots more questions and learn to keep your mouth shut. You can find more peace in a single silent thought than you ever thought possible. You care less about the appearance someone shows and more about the quality of conversation they can hold. You learn how to manifest hurt. You can always find the silver lining now. You make eye contact with people. You send packages and letters to your dear friends. You keep more to yourself. You love like it’s the last thing you can do on this earth. You learn that silence is deafening. You know when to pray for others. You learn that when people push you away, they’re the ones who end up lonely. You hope for them. This is growing up. This is where you plant your seed, sow it, and watch it bloom.